Just a Lost Little Girl
by OUATlover2000
Summary: Emma Swan is a little girl that was born early, she was abandoned. She has been thrown around the foster care all her life, it's not a good place for a little girl, she tired of this, then one day she's sent to another foster home. Emma is 12 years old, she's been through this too many times, she fairly certain that she won't be there for very long, but she's wrong.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The Nolan's were sitting in a waiting room, nervously waiting to be called into the office of a social worker. Then a brunette that looked to be about thirty came out from the back.

"Mr. and Mrs. Nolan?" The woman said.

The couple immediately stood up, hand-in-hand, and walked over to the woman.

"Hello, my name is Kaitlin and I'm going to be the social worker helping you out on your journey." She said reaching her hand out to be shook.

Mary Margaret shook her hand. "Hi, my name's Mary Margaret, and this is my husband David" David followed suit and shook Kaitlin's hand as well.

"Follow me back to my office and we can talk more" She told them and started to head back, and the Nolan's followed behind her.

Once they reached her office, she instructed for the couple to sit and she sat behind her desk.

"Let's get right down to business, shall we?" The both nodded. "So if I recall, no age or gender preferences?"

"That's correct." Mary told her.

"Give me a few moments, I'm going to grab a few files." They both nod, about 2 minutes later, she came back with 3 different files. "Here are a few that stuck out to me" Kaitlin handed the files over. "Avery Smith, Emma Swan, and Kayla Rivers" but they didn't know that she was secretly praying for them to pick one specific girl.

The couple skimmed through the files, but one specific file caught their attention.

*OUAT*

 _Name: Emma Swan  
_ _DOB: October 23rd, 2005  
_ _Age: 12  
_ _Emma was given up for adoption after being prematurely born.  
_ _She was taken in by the Swan's when she was 2 months of age and they had planned on adoption, that is until they learned that they were pregnant, that was around the time that Emma turned 3, when they found out that they were expecting, they sent her back. Emma has been bouncing all over the place ever since then.  
_ _Removed from 5 homes due to neglect.  
_ _Removed from 3 homes dues to physical abuse.  
_ _Removed from 1 home due to sexual abuse.  
_ _Removed from most recent home, due to severe malnourishment.  
_ _Personal details:  
_ _Color: Red  
_ _Food: Grilled cheese  
_ _Beverage: Hot cocoa with cinnamon  
_ _Hobby: Reading  
_ _Book: All Harry Potter books  
_ _Goal: Forever Family_

*OUAT*

Once they laid eyes on this file, they knew that she was the one, she was a new member of their family. "Emma Swan" They both said in unison, before even reading the rest of her file.

"That is a great choice! I've known Emma for a long time and she's a really good kid, she's just been through alot" They chose that one specific girl that needed a home, more than anything, Kaitlin was thrilled.

Mary and David had large grin across their faces, they were starting their family.

"I will make room on my schedule to bring Emma to her new home on…. Friday?"

"Friday sounds great" Mary told her still smiling.

"What time?" David asked her.

"Noon-ish?" The Nolan's nodded in response, they were thrilled.

*OUAT*

Emma Swan was sitting on her bed reading her one of her favorite books, yet again, when she heard a knock at the door. "Come in" She said quietly, not removing her gaze from her book.

"Hey Emma!" Her social worker told her.

"Hi" She said while still reading.

"Emma, I have good news." She told her excitedly.

"I'm moving again?" She asked, already knowing the answer. And Kaitlin responded with a simple nod. "But Miss Kaitlin, I'm tired of moving all the time" She whined to her social worker.

"I know Ems, but I have a really good feeling about this one. I don't think it will be like the last one."

"Okay..."

"Pack your bag hun, we leave tomorrow morning at 8"

"No school?!" Emma asked her excitedly.

"No school" Kaitlin repeated with a shake of her head, while chuckling at how excited she sounded. "Why is it that you love to read, but you hate school?" Kaitlin asked Emma curiously.

"Books don't change, schools do" Emma told her.

"Hopefully schools won't change anymore" Kaitlin told her with a sad smile.

"Do you really think they want me? Rachael told me that if you're older than 6, then that means people don't want you no more"

"Well, what does Rachael know? Do you wanna know something about me?" She asked a sad Emma.

"Yeah" Emma said while nodding.

"I used to be like you and Rachael and all the other kids here"

"Really?" Emma asked, shock evident in her voice.

"Yeah, and I wasn't adopted until I was 14 years old, and guess what" Emma looked up to her intrigued. "They were my forever family, and we still talk, all the time. They love me more than anything in the whole world"

"So, do you think that can happen to me?"

"I think it can happen to anyone." She told her smiling. "So pack your bag and I'll pick you up tomorrow morning" Emma nodded in response.

*OUAT*

"Emma, wake up. We're gonna be there in about 20 minutes, we left a little early" Emma stirred awake. "Huh? I wasn't asleep."

"Sure you weren't" She said sarcastically, which earned an eye roll from Emma. "So, there's a diner in the town we're going to, it's called Granny's, according to the Nolan's, it's pretty good, wanna stop there on the way?"

"Yeah" The car went silent for a moment. "Kaitlin, what if they don't like me? What if they send me back, what if I have to go back to..." She trailed off. Kaitlin pulled the car over to talk with Emma. "Hey, if they send you back, then it wasn't meant to be, and it'd be their loss." She told Emma seriously. "And you never ever have to go back to that home. Do you hear me?" Emma nodded her head.

About 5 minutes later, they arrived at a small diner. "So what's this town called?"

"Storybrooke" After Emma heard the name, all she could do was laugh.

"Really? Storybrooke?" She received a stern glare from Kaitlin. "Sorry, but the name is weird"

"I know it is, but try not to make too much of a joke out of it" Emma nodded in response.

*OUAT*

"David she's gonna be here in like 15 minutes, are you sure that everything is ready?" Mary asked her husband while running around Emma's new room frantically.

"Mary, take a deep breath, it's gonna be okay" He told her after placing his hands on her shoulders, she took a deep breath.

"You're right I'm sorry." They were interrupted by the doorbell. "They're early!" They went downstairs as calmly as possible and opened the door.

"Mr. and Mrs. Nolan good to see you again" Kaitlin greeted when they opened the door.

"Hello Kaitlin" Mary greeted, then bent down to talk to Emma. "And you must be Emma, I'm Mary and this is my husband David. It's very nice to meet you."

"Hi" Emma said shyly.

"Would you like to see your new room?" David asked and Emma nodded and followed the couple upstairs, as did Kaitlin.

"Wow, it's so big" Emma said astonished by her room. "It's all mine? I don't have to share with anyone."

"All yours." Mary told her. "Do you like it?"

"Cool, I love it." She said smiling.

"Mary, can I have a word?" Kaitlin asked with a smile, Mary nodded and followed her into the hallway.

"Is everything okay? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing of the sort, I just wanted to talk about Emma."

Mary let out a breath of relief. "Okay"

"The thing with Ems is that she has always set out to have a forever family, and she will test you to be sure that you won't wend her back, she will probably drive you crazy. You just have to show her how much you truly care, I can see it in your eyes, as well as your husbands, you guys already care so much"

"We do." Mary said proudly.

"Emma's case has always been so close to my heart, I was actually there when she was born. She has just been through so much, too much. I just want what's best for her"

"The second we saw her file, we knew that she was perfect, despite all that she's been through, and I'm ready and willing to prove that to her"

"That's good to hear, I'm gonna go say goodbye." Both women walked back into Emma's bedroom. "Emma, it's about time I go." She walked over and hugged her. "Remember, if you need anything, just call me. You have the card don't you"

"Yeah, bye Miss Kaitlin"

"Bye Ems, see you soon hun"


	2. Chapter 2

Emma has been staying with the Nolan's for 2 days, she likes them she wants to trust them, she just can't bring herself to do so.

"Hey Emma"

"Hi Mary" Emma said shyly, she's warming up to them, but she still finds herself quite shy when she's around them.

"So, I was thinking that I could take you shopping. What do you think about that?"

"Shopping? Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to waste your money." She told Mary.

"Nonsense, it won't be wasting it if you use the things that I buy, would it?"

Emma was genuinely surprised by her reaction. "Oh, I never really thought about it like that. You _want_ to take me shopping?"

"I do. I've always enjoyed shopping, even when it's not for myself. So, what do you say?"

"Okay, sounds good." Emma said, allowing a smile to appear on her face. "When?"

The moment Mary saw her smile and heard her answer, she couldn't help but to mirror her smile. "Sometime today, lets not forget that we have school tomorrow."

"We?" Emma asked her.

"Oh, I'm the fifth grade teacher"

This however did not surprise it, no wonder she's so nice, she teaches 10-year-olds. "Cool. Well, can we leave after lunch?"

"How about we leave now and we stop by Granny's on the way to the store. Sound good?" Emma nodded. "Alrighty, lets go"

*OUAT*

Mary took Emma shopping and she actually found herself having a lot of fun, she's is actually finding herself quite comfortable with Mary, hopefully she can soon be that way with David.

It's Emma's first day of school and she internally dreading it, all she has ever had at school is bully's and the occasional acquaintance.

The Elementary, Middle, and High school are all adjoined buildings, so they are all side by side.

"Okay Emma, if you need anything at all, just come over to my building, it's right over there" Mary said pointing to the first building.

"Alright, thanks"

"Okay, have a good day sweetie" Mary told her while waving goodbye to her as she wandered off into the building.

*OUAT*

Emma first walked into the counseling center to collect her timetable.

"Um.. Excuse me, ma'am" Emma said, trying to get the attention of the counselor.

After a few seconds, she noticed Emma. "How may I help you hun?"

"I'm Emma Swan, It's my um… It's my first day here. And my uh, foster mom told me to come here for my timetable." She said nervously, picking at her skin, she hasn't enjoyed initiating conversation with strangers in a very long time.

"Oh! You're Mary's foster daughter!" Emma nodded her head. "Well, lemme just print out your timetable" She said very cheerily, then pushed a few buttons on the computer. After that, she walked across the room and grabbed a piece of paper out of the printer, then walked back over and handed it to Emma. "There ya go!"

"Thanks" Emma said while leaving the room.

She walked into her first period and saw a girl buried in a book. She sat next to Belle French, a fellow bookworm. It took Belle a moment to even realize someone sat next to her because she was so caught up in her book. Eventually, she looked up and saw a blonde reading 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' "Oh, I love that book!" Belle said, initiating conversation.

"Huh?"

"I have the whole Harry Potter book collection at home!" She said proudly.

Emma smiled. "Me too! My favorite is 'The Goblet of Fire'! What's yours?"

"Definitely 'The Half-Blood Prince'!"

"That one would have to be my second favorite."

"I'm Belle French! What's your name?"

Emma smiled, she might actually make a friend. "Emma Swan, I'm new here."

*OUAT*

David picks Emma up from school because Mary doesn't get off until almost an hour after the middle schoolers are released.

"Hey Emma, how was your first day?" David asked as she got in his truck.

Emma smiled. "It was good, I think I made a new friend, Belle." She said proudly.

"That's great! She's a really good kid. She's actually a fellow bookworm"

"Yeah, we both love reading." She said, not even realizing why she's telling him, she never tells her foster parents about things like this.

"Makes sense, her mom works at the library."

Emma nodded. "So, how was your day?"

"It was good, just paperwork mostly."

Then Emma realized that she had no idea where he worked. "Where do you work?"

"Oh, we never really told you, did we?" Emma shook her head. "I'm the town sheriff."

She did not see that one coming. "Sheriff?"

"Yup, it's really not much work though. Small town, not a lot goes on around here."

Emma nodded, then it was silent for about a minute. "David?"

"Yeah"

"If I.. If I, um"

They were at a red light, so David looked at her. "It's okay Emma, you can ask anything you want."

"If I mess up… If I mess up are you gonna, um… Are you gonna send me back?" She asked nervously, picking at her skin, yet again.

"Emma, we don't plan on sending you back. You deserve a family, and that's what Mary and I want to give you." He told her, intensely staring at her.

"David..."

"What?"

She smiled, trying to hide her laugh. "The lights green."

"Oh… I knew that." He told her with a smirk, which did in fact cause her to giggle.

*OUAT*

"I'm home!" Mary yelled upon entering her house, with a gift for Emma.

"Hi Mary" Emma said once she saw her. "What's that?" Emma asked referring to the bag Mary was holding.

"It's for you, I know you said you don't want me spending too much money on you, but you may very well end up needing this is the near future." Mary told her, explaining herself to Emma, before Emma even knew what the gift was.

"Okay… What is it though?"

Mary pulled it out of the bag and Emma's jaw dropped. "You got me a phone?"

"I did… Just in case you needed to contact one of us, and you can text your friends and things like that."

Emma smiled and hugged Mary. "Thank you so much!" Once Emma realized what she did, she immediately pulled away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Emma, relax, it's alright" Mary said smiling. "Where's David?"

"He's in the kitchen cooking."

Mary's eyes went wide. "David? Is cooking?" Emma nodded. "Uh-oh" Mary mumbled under her breath, but Emma heard.

"Why uh-oh?"

Mary looked down at her. "David, he can't cook. The food normally catches on fire at one point in time." Mary said with a chuckle.

Emma giggled. ' _Wow, that's the second time today I've done that.'_ Emma thought.

"Did you have a good day?" Mary asked her.

Emma nodded. "I made a friend, a fellow bookworm, as David put it"

"Who is it?" Mary asked her.

"Belle French"

Mary smiled. "Her mother and I are friends."

"We both love the Harry Potter books and she showed me around the school." Emma told her smiling. "And she said she'll introduce me to some of her friends tomorrow." The words were just flying out of her mouth, she didn't understand why, but she was so comfortable around Mary and David.

*OUAT*

The new found family decided on a simple dinner after David's failed attempt to make pasta. They were all sitting at the table eating in a comfortable silence, until they decided it would be a good time to get to know a little more about Emma.

"So Emma, tell about yourself." David said.

Emma looked up from her food. "Well… What do you wanna know?"

"Anything Emma, we want to know all about you." Snow said smiling.

"Well, I uh… I have a big brother." She told them.

They were both shocked. "A brother? Wouldn't that have-" Emma interrupted David.

"He's not a blood brother. We grew up together, and Miss Kaitlin told us that blood doesn't make a family, love does. I know it's cheesy, but we took it to heart."

They nodded and smiled. "So, I take it you guys are pretty close?" Mary asked her.

Emma nodded. "His name's August, he's 19 now, but he emails me whenever he can."

"What does he do?" Mary asked.

Emma looked down. "He's in the army." Emma said with sadness in her voice. "But he's my hero." She said smiling and they smiled back.

"I bet you miss him a lot." David said and Emma nodded. "My twin brother's in the army too, I miss him all the time."

"He told me that whenever I miss him too much, to hold our picture close to my heart and eventually I won't be as sad." Emma said tearing up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get so sad."

"Don't worry about it sweetie." Mary said while wiping her tears away.

After dinner, Emma helped clean up and wash dishes, then she went upstairs and set up her new phone to email her big brother.

 _ **Dear August,**_  
 _ **I miss you lots! I'm in another foster home, but I think I actually like it here, their names are Mary and David, Mary's a teacher and David's a sheriff. I wish I knew when you were come home Auggie. I hug your picture when I get sad, just like you told me to! Mary and David said that they make a lot of food on Thanksgiving. I hope I'm still here then. Just in case you come back before I have to leave again, I'm in Storybrooke, Maine. It's a really small town, but I like it. Come home soon!  
Love, Emma**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Emma woke up on Thanksgiving morning, she still hasn't received an email back from August, but she's trying not to worry too much. She woke up and went downstairs and saw Mary and David.

"Morning sleepyhead." David greeted as she walked down the stairs.

Emma looked at him and faked a smile. "What time is it?"

David looked at his watch. "11:47"

"What? I never sleep in that late." Then she thought about August. "I forgot my phone upstairs, be right back." She ran upstairs to grab her phone and came back down. When she got downstairs, she checked her phone and her face lit up as she saw she had a new email. She clicked on it and she read:

 _ **Dear Ems,**_

 _ **I'm sorry I didn't email back right away, but I miss you too. Happy Thanksgiving! But I don't think I'm gonna make it back in time for Christmas this year, I'm sorry, I really wish I could. I know that it's a little upsetting, but don't let it ruin your mood. I'm glad to hear that you like it there. They sound like good people. I promise that I'll be home as soon as I can. Be good for them, try not to irritate them too much. I'm glad to hear you've been taking my advice, and don't worry, I have to hug your picture all the time! I miss you Ducky!**_

 _ **Love, August**_

Emma's smile slowly faded away as she read that she won't be seeing her big brother on Christmas, she didn't think anyone noticed, but both Mary and David did.

"Are you okay Em?" Mary asked her.

Emma looked up. "Huh? Yeah, I-I'm fine."

"Are you sure sweetie?"

"Auggie said he probably won't be home for Christmas, but it's okay." Mary and David gave her sympathetic smiles. "Can I go take a shower?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, of course. Maybe when you're done, you could help me cook?" Mary asked, trying to cheer her up.

Emma smiled. "Really?" Mary nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that." Then she went upstairs to shower.

After showering, she decided to email August back.

 _ **Dear Auggie,**_

 _ **I'm not gonna lie, it's gonna suck without you Auggie, but I'll be okay, don't feel too bad about it. I admit, I was a little upset, but Mary and David let me help cook to cheer me up! Can you believe that? I really do like it here, I hope that I don't have to go back! So, my shenanigans can wait until I trust that I won't be going back. Oh and August, I'm not a Ducky, I'm a Swan! ;)**_

 _ **Love, Emma**_

*OUAT*

It's been a few weeks since since Thanksgiving, Emma really enjoys staying with the Nolan's. Emma came home after school with a smile on her face, but her parents were sitting in the living room waiting for her to come home and she immediately thought they were sending her back.

"Hey hun, we want to talk to you." Mary said when Emma walked inside.

Emma had a panicked expression on her face. "I don't wanna go back, please don't don't make me go back." Emma said, tears trickling down her face.

"Hey, hey, we are not sending you back" David said, and they both came up to Emma and hugged her.

"You're not? But that's how it always happens. They say we need to talk, then I have to go back."

They both embraced her. "Well not this time princess, we want to talk about something good." David said.

"Em, sit down." Mary said gently. "Sweetie, we want to adopt you. Would you be okay with that?" She asked nervously.

A huge smile appeared on Emma's face. "I would be really really really okay with that!" Emma said excitedly.

"We still have to wait a few months before we're legally allowed to do so, but Emma, we both love you and see you you as our daughter." David said proudly.

Emma's eyes were watering up. "I love you guys too." She told them and then roped them into a group hug.

*OUAT*

It's now Christmas Eve, Emma really misses her big brother, he never responded to her email, she starting to get worried, but she tries not to think about it.

"Hey Em, what do you think about Granny's for lunch today?" Mary asked her.

Emma nodded. "I think it's a great idea."

"Alright, let's go." David said from behind them, then they all went to Granny's and sat at a booth, Emma sat with her back facing the door, she got so used to the ding of the door that she doesn't even look back when she hears it anymore.

But this time a man in a military uniform walked inside and David and Mary were staring at him, and that got Emma's attention.

"Earth to Mary! Earth to David! What are you guys staring at?" She asked, then Mary lifted her hand up and pointed at the man in the doorway.

"Is that..?"

Emma jumped up. "Auggie?!" She yelled and he turned around with a huge grin on his face. "How are you here?!"

"Doesn't matter how, all that matters is that I am. Now I think I deserve a hug from my baby sis!"

Emma practically jumped on top of him. "Come meet my foster parents!" She grabbed his hand and ran over to Mary and David.

"Slow down Ducky!" August yelled.

Emma glared at him. "You did not just say that out loud..."

"Ducky?" David asked.

"Mary, David, meet my big brother August!"

They both smiled and shook his hand. "Nice to finally meet you August"

"Does she talk about me that much?" He asked Mary and David. August looked down at Emma. "I'm flattered sis, truly!" August said dramatically.

Ruby walked over to their table. "Hey Ems!"

"Hey Rubes… What are you going here?" Emma asked her.

"Granny's making me help out." Ruby's eyes drifted over to August. "Who's the Army guy?"

Emma looked over to August. "Rubes, meet my big brother."

"So this is August?" Emma nodded.

"Geez Ducky, does the whole town know who I am?"

Emma glared at him. "Will you stop saying that in public?"

"August, how about you join us for lunch?" David offered and August agreed.

After a few minutes of sitting at the booth, David's curiosity got the best of him. "So August, you gotta tell us, why do you call her ducky?"

August smirked and Emma rolled her eyes. "When Em was about 6, she had an obsession with 'The Ugly Duckling', so after the fifth time reading it her at bedtime... "

 **6 Years Ago…**

"Come on Em, time for bed." Teenage August told 6 year old Emma.

Emma nodded and walked to the bedroom at the group home. "Auggie, can you read it to me again?"

"Come on Em, don't you wanna read something different?" He tried pleading with her.

Emma looked up and gave him her best puppy dog eyes. "Please Auggie."

August look at her and couldn't say no, 'How do you say no to those eyes?' He thought. "Fine."

Emma gave him a satisfied smile. "Thank you Auggie."

"Once Upon a Time, there lived the ugly duckling..." He read the story to her. "Okay, now it's really bed time."

"Night Night Auggie, love you." She said laying her head down.

"Love you too, now go to sleep Ducky." He said as he kissed her forehead. Emma gave him a strange look. "What?"

"I'm not a ducky, I'm a swan." She said ever so proudly.

August rolled his eyes. "Whatever, dork." He said and went into the other room and went to bed.

 **Present Time…**

August finished the story with a smile and looked over at me shrinking myself in the corner of the booth.

"Awe! That's so adorable!" They heard from the booth behind them.

Emma's head snapped around. "Ruby? You heard that? All of that?!" Ruby nodded her head proudly. "You little eavesdropper!" Emma yelled playfully and Ruby gave her cheeky smile.

"Okay Em, I think it's about time to head home". Mary said. August, would you like to join us?" She asked him.

"Please Auggie?" Emma asked with her puppy dog eyes.

August rolled his eyes. "That's no fair! It's physically impossible to say no to those eyes."

Emma smiled and both Mary and David laughed, they all got up and started walking out of Granny's, when Emma noticed August limping. "Auggie?"  
"Yeah" August said turning around to face her.

She looked up at him. "What's wrong with your leg?"

August scratched his nose, something he does when he lies. "Uh, I don't know what your talking about."

"August, I'm serious." She said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Em, it's no big deal. I'm fine."

She gave him an angry look. "Answer me"

"I was shot… In the shoulder and the leg"

She got angry and upset. "You promised that you wouldn't get hurt!" She said, a few tears spilling out.

David and Mary came outside and saw her yelling. "Emma? What's wrong sweetie?"

"Maybe I should stay at the Inn tonight." He said and walked over to Emma and kissed the top of her head. "I love you Ducky, don't cry." He told her while wiping her tears away.

She ignored him. "Can we go home now?" She asked Mary and David.

"Uh yeah, come on." David said.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Once they arrived home, Emma ran up the stairs into her room and slammed her door shut.

"I'm gonna go talk to her." Mary told her husband and he nodded.

She went upstairs and knocked on Emma's door. "Em, it's Mary. Can I come in?" Mary heard sniffles in response, but no answer, so she went in.

When Mary walked in, Emma made room for her on her bed, so that they could lay together. "H-he got sh-shot." She said, in between sobs. "It… It w-was my f-fault"

Mary wiped the tears off of Emma's face. "Why would you think that it was your fault hun, he was overseas".

"H-he was in th-the army b-because of m-me." She took a deep breath. "When I was 9… I-I was in a really really bad home, and he… He was hurting me in a really bad way. Then Auggie found out and he hurt Mr. Cole really badly. Th-they told Auggie that he could go into the army or that h-he could go to jail."

"Oh sweetie." Mary was tearing up by what she just heard. "That doesn't make it your fault."

Emma shook her head. "If I would have j-just kept my mouth shut when that happened and n-never told August, he wouldn't have-"

"Hey, hey, no. If you wouldn't have said anything you might still be there. And you wouldn't be okay." Emma looked down. "Look at me Em." She looked up at Mary. "August is okay, the only thing he did was protect his little sister".

"He's limping, we was shot in the leg and shoulder, but he didn't tell don't keep secrets from each other."

Mary grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "I'm sure he just didn't want you worry too much."

Emma sat up as did Mary, and Emma pulled her into a hug. "Thank you Mary."

"Anytime sweetheart."

Emma smiled. "Uh, can I go see Auggie, I sorta flipped out on him."

"Yeah, but maybe wash your face first". Mary told her, wiping a stray tear.

Emma smiled. "Good idea." Emma went to the washroom to wash her face and Mary went downstairs to talk to David.

"Is she okay?" David asked as he saw Mary walking down the stairs.

She nodded. "Yeah, she's washing her face, then we're taking her to see her brother, she wants to apologize."

"Apologize? For what?" He asked, with a confused expression written on his face.

"Well she yelled at him and she blames herself."

David grew even more confused. "Blames herself for what?"

"Oh, I guess you don't know do you?" David shook his head. "August got shot". He still looked confused. "He attacked one of Emma's previous foster fathers for hurting her, and the court gave him and option, prison or army."

David nodded in understanding and shortly after, Emma came down the stairs. "You guys ready to go?"

*OUAT*

Emma knocked on August's door at the Inn that he was staying at. "Ducky?" August asked, confused.

"I'm a Swan." Emma said smiling and then hugged her big brother, and he gladly hugged back. "I'm sorry Auggie, I overreacted."

"Where are your parents?" August asked her and it brought a smile to her face. 'Parents'.

"They're outside, they're gonna come up in a few minutes."

August nodded. "So..."

"They want to adopt me Auggie! They actually want me!" This caught August off guard, but in a good way.

"That's great sis!" He said happily hugging her. They were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in!"

David and Mary walked inside his room. "So I see that you guys are no longer angry at each other" Mary said and the siblings both smiled. "Would you like to come stay with us August?"

Emma got a very big smile on her face. And August nodded.

"Great!" David said. "Because I need to hear plenty of embarrassing stories about our princess." David said proudly.

"David!" Emma slightly scolded, due to embarrassment. Then everyone except for Emma laughed. "This isn't funny." Emma pouted.

"Come on sweetie, let's go home." Emma nodded. They all went home.

*OUAT*

Emma woke up early on Christmas morning, she was excited, it was her first real Christmas with a real family, and her brother's here. She walked down the stairs and was amazed by what she saw.

"Whoa..." She whispered to herself. There were a ton of presents under the tree. She decided to wake August, "Auggie, Auggie. Wake up."

August stirred awake. "What?"

"Merry Christmas Auggie." Emma said happily.

August looked at her. "What time is it Em?"

Emma looked over at the clock across the room. "Damn, It's so far away"

"Language Ducky." August said sternly. "And it's not that far away, you just need glasses."  
Emma rolled her eyes. "Sorry and I do not need glasses." Emma walked towards the clock. "It's 7:30."

"7:30? Why are you up at 7:30 in the morning?"

Emma smiled. "It's my first real Christmas, with a real family Auggie, I got excited." Emma admitted.

"Go back to sleep Em, when you wake up again, Mr. and Mrs. Nolan will be awake and you will get your presents."

Emma gave him her puppy dog eyes, "Please Auggie, just come look how amazing it is."

"Fine." August said rolling his eyes, and he got up, he too was amazed by what he saw. "Wow, this is amazing."

Emma smiled. "I know right, come sit on the couch and wait with me."

"Emma, I agreed to look, not sit and stare at it until your parents wake up."

Emma gave him the eyes again. "Please Auggie?"

He rolled his eyes and they sat on the couch. Within minutes, Emma was fast asleep on August's shoulder and his head was hanging off of the back of the couch, asleep as well.

*OUAT*

"Morning beautiful." David told his wife as he saw her eyes flutter open.

Mary smiled. "Morning, what time is it?"

"Almost 9, we slept in. We should go wake Emma up"

Mary nodded, then they both got up and walked down the hall to check on their foster daughter. "Um... David"

"Maybe the guest room with her brother?" They went to the guest bedroom and nothing. "Or not..."

They walked around the house looking for Emma and August, and what they saw was absolutely adorable. "David, look at them, they look so peaceful."

David walked over to Emma. "Em, it's time to wake up."

Emma groaned in response, which woke August up. "She woke up at like 7 this morning." He said, sleep evident in his voice.

"Emma woke up before 8… willingly?" Snow asked shocked.

August smiled and got up, and they all walked into the kitchen. "She was excited, she's never had this before. I mean Kaitlin always bought us a cheap gift for birthdays and Christmas', but she's never had a family, excluding myself."

Mary and David both had tears in their eyes.

"I've never seen her this happy before, she really loves it here and even though I know she probably hasn't said it yet, she loves you." August said smiling.

*OUAT*

"I can't believe you guys bought me all this stuff!" Emma said, opening her last present.

Mary smiled at her. "Of course we did sweetie." Emma mirrored her smile.

"This has been the best Christmas ever!" Emma was ecstatic about the day she was having.

They were all enjoying themselves, then August got a phone call on his work phone. "I'll be back, I need to take this." He said and answered the phone laughing and walking out of the room.

"Hello,corporal August Booth speaking." He said, changing his tone of voice.

"Morning corporal, this is sergeant Williams, how are you healing up."

His heart sunk, there's only one reason his sergeant would be calling him. "Just fine sir, thanks for calling, but the doc says I need about another week of rest before I can go back, if I want to go back with full strength."

"I'm sorry to do this to you, but we need you back… in active duty."

August internally sighed. "When?"

"4 days." He told him reluctantly.

"Understood sir, see you then."  
The sergeant sighed. "I really am sorry, I know you missed your sister, but we have know other choice corporal."

"I understood, see you then sir." August ended the call and walked back into the living room, he saw his little sister with the biggest smile on her face, he just didn't have the heart to tell her, not today at least.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Once August ended the call, he walked into the living room and saw his little sister's face, she looked so happy, he didn't have the heart to tell her that he has to go back, not yet.

"Auggie are you okay?"

August itched his nose. "I'm great little sis." He told her with a fake smile on his face.

Emma knew he was lying, but she decided to let it go… for now. "Okay..."

"So Emma, are you ready for carolling?" Mary asked with a grin.

Emma rolled her eyes. "No way, not gonna happen you guys."

"I think it'd be great for you Ducky, you have an amazing voice! Remember that talent sho-" Emma slapped her hand over his mouth.

"I don't know what you're talking about August." She said through gritted teeth.

August got a mischievous grin on his face."Oh, but I think you do. I actually think I still have the video of it on my phone." Emma's eyes went wide. "It was last year."

"It was a dare!"

August smiled. "Ah, here it is!"

Emma rolled her eyes while August played the video and everyone else smiled. "That was amazing Emma!" Mary said very cheerily. "There is definitely no way that you're getting out of it now!"

Emma glared at August. "You suck." And August responded with a brotherly smirk. "You're coming too."

"Huh?"

Emma smiled. "Yep you're coming. Right you guys?"

"Definitely" David said. And Mary nodded.

*OUAT*

"Emma, I need to tell you something." August told her while they were having lunch at Granny's, two days later.

She smiled. "I wanna tell you something too! But you're going first."

"Ducky, I have to leave tomorrow morning." He told her sadly.

Her bottom lip began to quiver. "But… You just got back." She said trying to stop her tears, but failing.

"I know Ems, it's not fair. But my sergeant called and said that they need me back."

Emma got up and went on his side of the booth and hugged him unable to control her tears.

"Hey, none of that." He told her firmly. "Now, what did you wanna tell me?"

She wiped her tears and looked at August. "They want to adopt me, they really want me August."

"I'm happy for you."

Emma hugged him again. "I wish you didn't have to go."

"Me too." He said sadly. "But you're gonna be good while i'm gone." Emma nodded, tears still falling down her face.

"Damn tears." She said, wiping the rest of her tears off.

"You're also going to cut it with the language."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Sorry"

"Let's get you home"

Emma stood up. "Let's"

They walked home and when they got there they saw Mary and David smiling. "Did she tell you?" Mary asked excitedly.

"She did, and I'm happy for all of you."

David noticed that neither of them looked very happy. "What's wrong?"

August sighed. "I have to leave tomorrow morning. My sergeant called me saying that they need me back, ASAP."

"Oh, that's disappointing. We really enjoy your company." David told him smiling.

Mary looked at Emma. "Are you okay sweetie?"

"I'm fine... or I will be." She told them with a weak smile. "Can we just all have a movie day or something?"

Mary smiled at her. "Of course we can."

A few movies later, Emma falls asleep on August. "We better get her to bed." David said while standing up.

"I got it." August said while lifting his little sister up off of the couch.

David and Mary followed August up the stairs to say goodnight.

August laid her on the bed and kissed her forehead, then he stepped aside so Mary and David could do the same.

"Goodnight princess." David said and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Mary tucked Emma in, since the guys didn't bother to even cover her up. "Goodnight baby, I love you." She placed a kiss, much like David's to her forehead.

*OUAT*

"Emma, honey, wake up." Mary tried waking her daughter.

Emma groaned. "Mmm, go away."

Mary chuckled. "Come on Em, your brother has to leave in half an hour and I made food."

Emma sat up and glared at Mary. "That was low, playing the guilt card and bribing me… not bad, not bad at all." Emma said sleepily hiding her grin.

"Come on, let's get downstairs before the food gets cold." Emma nodded and they both went downstairs to eat.

"Morning sleepyhead." August said when he saw Emma and she shot him a glare.

They all ate breakfast and soon enough it was time for August to leave.

"Well I guess I'd better get going. Thank you both for offering me a place to stay." August told Mary and David. "And thanks for giving Ducky a home." he said sincerely.

"Swan." She said smiling, fighting off her tears. August smiled and pulled her into a hug, and from that point on, her emotions let loose. "I wish you didn't have to go."

"I know Emmy, me too."

Emma gave him the scariest glare ever. "Don't call me that, I haven't let you call me that since I was 7." He smiled, and she smiled right back. "I love you Auggie."

"I love you too Em." He kissed her forehead, then looked up to David and Mary. "Can you guys do me a favor?"

They both nodded. "Anything." Mary told him.

"Take her to the eye doctor, she's blind as a bat."

Emma's jaw dropped. "Hey!"

He smirked. "Oh and when adults aren't paying much attention, she tends to curse, so watch out for it." He told them.

"Traitor." Emma mumbled under her breath and August winked at her.

David shook his hand. "It was great meeting you."

"And you as well sir, thank you for taking care of my baby sis." He told him and winked at Emma, earning him an eye roll.

Mary gave him an unexpected hug. "It was incredibly great meeting you August!" August smiled and returned the hug.

August walked over to Emma and enveloped her into a hug. "Be good for them Em. I love you and email as often as humanly possible. Got it?"

Emma nodded. "This royally sucks Auggie."

August climbed on his motorcycle and rode off.

Emma watched him go and her eyes began to water up. "If the army doesn't kill him that darn death machine on wheels will." She joked, trying to make herself feel a little better.

David and Mary both gave her weak smiles. "Come on Em, let's get inside, it's cold out here." Emma nodded and followed her parents inside.

 _ **Please Review…**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N:**_

 _ **Trigger Warning! Talk of sexual assault in Emma's dream!**_

 **Chapter 6**

August has been gone for a few weeks now, Emma emails him about 3 or 4 times a week, David and Mary even send him the occasional email. Emma was prescribed glasses, which she hates and 'forgets' all the time.

"Can we go for ice cream?" Emma asked Mary and David. "Come one, I ate all my dinner, including the peas that Mary insisted that I eat." Emma said trying to convince them. "Please?"

Mary and David shared a silent conversation. "If you go upstairs and get your glasses." Mary told her.

"Fine." Emma turned around and rolled her eyes.

"And don't roll your eyes at us Em." David said as she was making her way to the staircase.

Emma turned around. "How did you…?"

"We just know Emma, now go get your glasses." David told her and she nodded and went to go get her glasses she came back down shortly after.

"Time for some rocky road!" Emma said smiling.

The three went to the ice cream shop in David's truck, upon arriving, Emma noticed a blonde that seemed familiar, but she couldn't see her face.

"Who's that? She seems… familiar." Emma asked referring to the blonde.

"I can't be sure, but I think she moved here shortly after you did, I can't remember her name though." David told her.

Emma nodded and shook the thought out of her mind. "Let's go order some ice cream."

"Be with you in a moment!" The blonde said from across the room.

Emma recognized that voice, she would know that voice anywhere, the sound of her voice caused Emma to pale. "Ingrid..." Emma said under her breath.

"What was that hun?" Mary asked her, looking down at her, it was then that Mary noticed how pale Emma was. "Sweetie? What's wrong?" Mary asked, which got David's attention.

"Emma?" David said in a concerned tone.

"I-Ingrid..." Was all Emma managed to say, then the blonde walked over, not looking up from the paper she was holding.

"What can I get you?" She asked, then looked up and saw Emma. "Emma? Is that you?" Ingrid asked, coming towards Emma.

Emma slowly backed away, and suddenly she couldn't control her breathing. "S-s-stay... away." Emma said in between gasps for air.

David stepped in front of Ingrid. "I think it'd be best if you back away." David told her and she complied, knowing that he's the sheriff.

"Come on Em, let's get you out of here." Mary said leading Emma out of the ice-cream shop, David following not far behind.

Mary was rubbing soothing circles on Emma's back. "Slow, deep breaths Em. Slow, deep breaths." Soon enough, Emma was back to breathing at a normal pace. "Do you wanna tell us what happened?"

"I'm sorry..." Emma told them quietly.

Mary and David were both puzzled. "Sorry for what babe?" Mary asked her.

"I-I.. I couldn't breathe… It- It was embarrassing. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I-I'm sorry."

They both looked at her with sadness in their eyes. "Em, that wasn't your fault. You have nothing to be sorry about. Do you hear me?" David asked her.

"Yeah…" Emma said and nodded. "Can we go home now?"

They went home, and when they got inside, they thought they should ask Emma about what happened. "Babe, how about you tell us what happened back there." Mary told her, know that Emma was calm enough.

"I'm tired, I think I'm just gonna go to bed." Emma told them and then she ran up the stairs before they had a chance to protest. Emma went in her room and quietly cried herself into a restless sleep.

 **Emma's Dream**

 _It was Emma's second week staying with Mr. and Mrs. Fisher. Mr. Fisher had been saying strange things to Emma, it made extremely uncomfortable, but she didn't want to bother her social worker with it. She was starting to grow close to Mrs. Fisher, she even told Emma that she could call her Ingrid, so that's what Emma did._

 _Emma was laying on her small lumpy mattress, when Mr. Fisher came in her room. "Oh Emma, wake up sweet Emma."_

 _Emma was awake, but she didn't like being alone with Mr. Fisher, so she thought if she pretended to be asleep, then he would leave her alone. She thought wrong._

" _I know you're awake Emma, I can hear you breathing." Emma made no movements. "I don't like being lied to Emma!" He shouted and Emma turned to face him._

" _I-I'm sor-sorry."_

 _Mr. Fisher had a disgusting grin on his face. "That's okay Emma, but you have to do something for me." He said placing his hand on her leg._

 _She shook her head profusely. "No!" She shouted, and began crying._

" _Yes! You do not tell me no!" She yelled angrily._

" _No! Please! Mrs. Fisher! Ingrid!" She was now balling._

 _Mr. Fisher began to laugh. "Do you think she cares? She knows what I'm doing! She does not care! No one cares about you Emma! No one but me!"_

" _That's not true! Ingrid! Help me Ingrid! Help me! Please!"_

*OUAT*

Mary and David decided to go to bed after checking on Emma and seeing that she saw asleep. They were laying down after laying down for an hour or so, David dozed off.

A while after David fell asleep, Mary got out of bed for a glass of water, then she heard Emma screaming before she could make it down the stairs.

She rushed to Emma's room and saw her kicking her feet and yelling. "Help me Ingrid! Help me! Please!"

Mary ran to Emma and tried waking her up. "Wake up babe, it's just a dream, wake up." Emma's kicking slowed down, but she was still crying and asking for help. "Help… Please help me!""Emma! Wake up babe." Emma shot up in bed, hyperventilating. "There you go hun, just a dream."

Emma jumped in to Mary's arms, sobbing. "I… He… It… It felt… so… real!" She cried out, in between sobs.

Mary just sat there rubbing soothing circles in her back. "It's okay babe, it was just a dream."

"It wasn't… It wasn't a dream." Emma said, breaking the hug.

She looked at Emma, confused. "What are you talking about hun?"

"I was only 9…" Emma sat up completely, pulling her knees up to her chest and buried her face in her knees, and she cried. "I... told him... no." She said between sobs. "I… screamed… for help… she… didn't… come"

"Oh honey, it's okay, they can't hurt you anymore, we won't let them." Mary told her pulling Emma back into a hug. "How about I go get you a glass of water?" Mary offered after a few minutes of calming Emma down.

Emma shook her head. "No… Please… can you stay?"

"Of course I can babe, lets lay down." They both repositioned themselves so they could lay side-by-side, Emma laid down next to Mary, hugging her torso and Mary hand her hands resting on Emma's back. "Goodnight Emma, I love you."

"Night mom." Emma said without hesitation and fell asleep seconds later.

When Mary heard Emma call her mom, it melted her heart, she loved it.

 _ **A/N #2:**_

 _ **I appreciate all reviews! Even the negative ones. I did not realize how similar my story was to The Lost Get Found, I apologize for that. I will definitely change it up so that it's not so similar! Thank you for your feedback!**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The next morning Emma woke up in Mary's arms, she remembered calling Mary her mom last night, and she felt good about it. It rolled off her tongue like an instinct, she's finally willing to accept that they really love her and she loves them too.

Mary's eyes fluttered open and she saw Emma looking at her smiling. "Hey babe, you feeling any better?"

At first Emma was confused, then she remembered why Mary was in her bedroom, she remembered her nightmare. So she just shrugged in response to Mary's question. "A little I guess, but I'm fine."

"Come on hun. Talk to me."

Emma's eyes began to water up. "She didn't stop him." Emma said not even loud enough to be considered a whisper, but Mary heard it. "She never cared and neither did he. But I thought Ingrid did, but I was wrong." She admitted, a few tears falling from her eyes. "Kaitlin says that she's just as bad as Mr. F-Fisher." Emma stuttered at his name. "Kaitlin said that there wasn't any proof of Ingrid being the bad one too, s-so she did-didn't have to go to j-jail too." Emma said, stuttering and lightly crying.

"They can't hurt you any more babe. Neither of them."

Emma shook her head. "Ingrid can, she's not in jail like he is. She can try to take me away, I don't wanna go. I never want to see her again." Emma said beginning to raise her voice. "I-I-I hate her!" Emma was now sobbing and her mother was now lightly crying.

All Mary could do was hug her and do anything to soothe her. "David told her to stay away from you, so that's what she's gonna do." Mary told her. "You're not going anywhere, neither are we. You're stuck with us."

David woke up to the sound of sobs, he looked to where his wife was laying the previous night and saw it was empty. He felt the spot and it was cold, so he realizes she must have been gone for a while. He got up and followed the sobs to his daughter's room.

He was his wife hugging Emma and he decided to step in. "What's wrong princess?" He asked upon entering Emma's room.

Emma looked up and smiled when she saw David. "Morning…"

David sat on the edge of Emma's bed and wiped away her tears with one hand, and wiped away Mary's tears with his other hand. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not anymore, not right now."

"I think I can understand that, how about I make some breakfast?"

Emma and Mary both shook their heads profusely.

David shook his head playfully. "You know, the lack of faith you have in me is offending." He said to his wife and daughter.

"I'll make us some pancakes." Mary Margaret said getting up. "You wanna help?" Mary asked Emma and she nodded.

*OUAT*

Mary, David, and Emma were all sitting at the dining room table eating their breakfast. Emma wants to ask them something, but she's nervous about it, so she keeps giving them awkward glances, very noticeable awkward glances.

"Princess?"

Emma's head shot up. "Yeah?"

"Do you want to say something?" He asked her.

Emma shrugged. "Not really." A few second of awkward silences passed. "Yeah… I do."

They both laughed and gave her their full attention.

"Can I… Would you guys… Ugh."

They both gave her a puzzled look. "Babe, just ask the question."

"You guys can say no if you want, it wouldn't bother me. I would underst-" david interrupted her rambling.

"Emma."

Emma smiled. "Sorry. Can I uh, can i call you guys um" Emma stopped and took a deep breath. "Can I call you guys mom and dad?" Emma asked in one breath and looked down at her food expecting to be shot down.

"Em look at us." David told her and she obliged. "We would love for you to call us mom and dad."

Emma smiled. "Really? 'Cause I would totally understand if it makes you too uncomfortable, I've only been here for 3 months and-" this time she was interrupted by Mary.

"Hun, we love you, and you can call us whatever you'd like." Mary told her, calmly, but she was internally jumping in excitement, she was ecstatic about the new level of trust they have with Emma.

"Great! Um can I go to Ruby's?" Emma asked hopefully.

"I don't know Em…" David said.

' _Perfect timing...'_ Emma thought. "Please dad?"

David thought for a moment. "Fine, but be back by six."

"Thanks dad!" Emma squealed, then ran up the stairs to get her phone.

Mary laughed. "What?" David asked.

"She just played you, and you fell for it." Mary told him and looked utterly shocked.

Emma came bouncing down the stairs and saw her mom laughing and her dads shocked expression. "Bye mom! Bye dad! Love you!" She yelled and she was out of the door and on her way to her best friends house. ' _Oh my God, I just told them I love them'_ Emma thought, stopping halfway down the street, then she smiled and continued walking, just thinking to herself about how she finally has her forever family.

*OUAT*

Emma knocked on the front door of Ruby's house and Granny answered. "Hi Miss Lucas!"

Granny let her in. "Hun, what did I say about the formalities, call me Granny." Granny said with a cheerful smile on her face.

"Sorry, Granny. Is Ruby upstairs?" She nodded. "Thanks Granny." Emma said then hopped up the stairs and into her best friends room.

"Ever heard of knock-" Ruby yelled, then stopped herself when she realized it was Emma. "Emma? Sorry, I thought you were Granny." Ruby apologized.

"That's okay Rubes, did you guys get in another argument?" Emma asked.

Ruby shrugged it off. "Nothing new. Not that I don't love that you're here, but why are you here?"

"Last night and this morning were _very_ eventful." Emma told her, stretching the word very.

"How so?"

Emma took a deep breath. "Well last night, I ran into one of my old foster mom, she's a real bi-" Emma stopped herself. "She's a bad person." Emma corrected which caused Ruby to giggle.

"Who is it?"

"Ingrid Fisher, she pretends to be a good person, but she's not."

Ruby looked shocked. "The new ice cream lady?" Emma nodded. "She was asking me if I knew you last night at the Diner."

"What?" Ruby nodded. "What time?" Emma asked seriously.

"9-ish" Ruby told her, realizing how serious the situation was. "You should probably tell sheriff Nolan."

Emma contemplated for a moment. "Nah, I'll just tell him when I get home, no biggie."

Ruby reluctantly nodded. "What happened after running into Mrs. Fisher?"

"Well, I had a nightmare, but nothing that couldn't be handled." Ruby placed a comforting hand on Emma's hand. "My mom calmed me down and stayed with me."

Ruby's head popped up when she realized Emma called Mary her mom. "Mom?"

"This morning we all talked and I asked if I could call them mom and dad and yeah."

Ruby smiled. "That's great Em!" It was quiet for a minute. "Do you wanna talk about the dream?"

"I… Uh, no… Not really"

"That's okay, you don't have to." Ruby told her in an understandingly. "I'm surprised that they let you come after the whole Ingrid thing."

Emma grinned. "At first he said no, but then I called him dad for the first time and he broke." Emma said still grinning mischievously.

Ruby laughed. "That was wrong." She said, still laughing.

"I know, but the timing was just too perfect!" Emma smiled. "Oh and I told them I love them!" Emma practically squealed.

"I'm so happy for you Ems."

Their conversation was interrupted by Granny. "Emma! There's someone at the door for you!" She yelled from downstairs.

"That's weird, no one knows I'm here but my parents and they would've just texted me and," Emma checked her phone. "And no text messages." Emma stood up. "Belle probably saw me come over or something." Emma said getting up. "You just stay up here, if it's Belle, we'll just both come up anyway." Emma told her and then put her phone on the bed.

Ruby nodded and Emma went about halfway down the stairs.

"Who is it Granny?"

Granny smiled. "Some woman, she said she knows you." Granny said from the door.

When Emma got in view shot of the door, she saw who it was and froze.

"Hello Emma." The woman said.

"W-what are you doing here?" Emma asked unable to control the shakiness of her voice.

Granny noticed how scared Emma was. "Ma'am, who are you?" Granny asked her.

"Emma, I cared about you."

She shook her head. "My dad told you to stay away from me." Emma said, letting a tear escape her eye. "You never cared, you're as bad as he was."

"The sheriff isn't your father Emma and he wasn't a bad person Emma, he loved you, we both did." Ingrid stepped closer, but then Granny stepped in front of her and pushed her back. "You should have never told that boy those lies, we could have been a family"

Emma started crying. "You don't hurt the people you love!" Ruby heard and came out of her room and saw Ingrid. "I didn't lie! He did bad things to me! And you let him!"

"I think you best be going now." Granny told Ingrid, then turned to face Emma. "Hun, how about you go upstairs and call your dad."

Emma was frozen, she couldn't move, then Ruby rested her hand on Emma's shoulder, which caused Emma to snap out of her trance. "Come on Emma, it's okay." Emma nodded and followed Ruby up to her room.

Once the door shut Emma was silently sobbing, not wanting Ruby to notice, she avoided eye contact.

"Ems, I'm gonna call sheriff Nolan and tell him what happened."

Emma shook her head. "I-I can… do it." She said, trying to hide her sobs, but it didn't work.

Emma reached for her phone, but Ruby stopped her and hugged her, Emma just cried into her best friends shoulder.

"I have to call him now." Emma said breaking the hug, she grabbed the phone and called her dad, then sat on the ground and pulled her knees up to her chest.

" _Sheriff Nolan, what can I do for you?"_

 _Emma took a deep, yet shaky breath. "Dad…"_

" _Emma?"_

 _Emma started to lightly cry. "Dad, can you come get me?"_

" _What happened? Are you okay?"_

" _Ingrid showed up and said all these things." A sob escaped from Emma's lips. "Granny told me to call you."_

" _We'll be there in a few minutes Emma."_

 _Emma nodded. "O-okay dad." Emma said, then ended the call._

"It's gonna be okay Emma." Ruby told her.

Emma nodded. "I'm sorry Ruby."

"For what?"

Emma looked at her. "We were supposed to hang out until 6 and I messed it up."

"It's not your fault. It's Ingrid's fault." Ruby told Emma.

Ruby held her hand out to help Emma up off of the floor, and Emma took it. "I wanna go downstairs to wait, but… What if she's still down there?"

"I doubt it, Granny probably scared her off. You know she can be scary when she doesn't like someone." Ruby said matter-of-factly.

Emma smiled and nodded, and they slowly went downstairs, then they saw Granny. "Is she gone?"

Granny nodded and they both let out sighs of relief.

 **Please Review…**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

David and Mary picked Emma up and they had a short quiet ride home. When they arrived home, she tried to just go up to her room, but they stopped her. "Emma, wait." Mary said as she was heading for the stairs.

"What?" Emma asked.

"Sit down babe, we need to talk about what happened."

Emma rolled her eyes. "What's there to talk about? My psycho ex-foster mom is stalking me! Seems pretty straightforward to me!" Emma snapped. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get angry." Emma said and looked down.

"It's okay hun, just come talk to us."

Emma reluctantly walked over and sat on the couch. "I may have forgotten to mention something…"

"What?" David asked.

"I should've texted you when Ruby told me, but i said it wasn't a big deal and that'd I'd just tell you when I got home."

They both gave her a puzzled look. "Well you're home now, so what is it?" David asked her.

"Dad, I really didn't think it was a big deal… Until she showed up."

"Babe, just tell us." Mary told her.

Emma nodded. "Well after the whole incident at the ice cream shop, Ingrid kind of, well she asked Ruby if she knew me, she lied to Rubes and told her that she used to be my teacher..."

"What?" David slightly raised his voice, then realized it and calmed himself down. "What'd Ruby tell her."

"She told her that we were best friends, but don't be mad at her, she didn't know. It's not her fault."

"We're not mad at anyone but Ingrid."

Emma looked up. "So you're not mad at me for not telling you when Ruby told me?"

"We're not necessarily happy, but we aren't mad at you." Mary told her reassuringly and Emma nodded. "What'd she say to you?" Emma shrugged. "What'd she say babe?"

Emma tried to keep from getting emotional. "Nothin' much." She said trying to change the subject.

"Then why do you look so upset?" Emma shrugged again. "Emma."

Emma rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter what she said. It wasn't true." Emma said clenching her fists and starting to tear up.

Mary grabber Emma's hands and gently reassuring her. "It matters if it makes you this upset honey."

"She said that _he_ loved and cared about me, and that she did too." Emma said quietly, tears pooling from her eyes.

"You don't hurt the people you care about. What he did to you was not love." Mary told her firmly, and left David feeling completely confused.

"Th-that's… what I… told… her." Emma said, stuttering between sobs.

Mary wiped the tears off of Emma's face, causing her to calm down. "Deep breaths babe." Mary told her, and she obliged.

"She said I lied, but I didn't lie."

"I know you didn't hun." Mary told her reassuringly and Emma nodded. "Do you wanna go upstairs and email your brother and tell him what happened?"

Emma shook her head. "He'd only worry, and he's busy, I don't want to bother him."

"I think you should babe, talking to August normally puts in a better mood."

Emma nodded. "I will." Emma half-lied. "But I'm gonna take a shower first."

Mary nodded and David came over and placed a kiss to the top of her head. Then Emma went upstairs and showered.

Once Emma was out of earshot, David decided to question Mary. "What'd I miss? Who was the 'he' she was referring to?"

"Ingrid's husband, from what I gather, he hurt her David."

David was enrages, but tried remaining calm. "He's the one that…?" he trailed off and Mary nodded her head. "How old was she?"

Mary was getting teary-eyed. "She was 9. Emma told me that he was arrested, but there was no proof of Ingrid's involvement, so they couldn't arrest her as well."

David was infuriated, and Mary noticed.

"He's locked up David."

"I know, it's just… He deserves worse."

Mary nodded in agreement. "I know."

*OUAT*

After Emma showered, she went in her room to email August, she just didn't plan on telling him what happened. ' _It's not lying if he doesn't ask… Right?'_ She thought.

 _ **Dear Auggie,**_

 _ **Pretty much everything is great here. I'm actually calling them mom and dad now and I told them that I love them! I know, it's a big move, but I trust them and if by chance I do have to go back, then I know it wouldn't be their fault. But I'm actually starting to think that they want me, the real me. I did have a nightmare about… him, but that's pretty much all that's happened since my last email. Love you and miss you Auggie, reply when you get the chance.**_

 _ **~Love, Emma.**_

After Emma emailed her brother, she noticed she had some texts on her group chat with Ruby and Belle.

 _B: OMG Ems, Rubes told me what happened! Are you okay?!_

 _R: Are you there Em?_

 _E: I'm here, just saw your texts and I'm fine, I promise._

 _B: I'm coming over!_

 _E: You don't have to do that Belle._

 _B: Sleepover! I'm bringing an overnight bag!_

 _R: I am too! No point in arguing!_

 _E: You guys…_

 _B: She's right! I'm already on my way!_

 _R: So am I!_

Emma went downstairs to tell her parents. "Mom, dad. Ruby and Belle insisted on coming over, they'll be here in a few minutes."

"They're good friends." David told her.

Emma smiled. "Can we have a sleepover tonight? They're both already on their way and bringing overnight bags."

"A sleepover is a great idea!" Mary said, a little too excitedly.

David rolled his eyes. "I could always invite Killian and Neal." Emma told him with a mischievous grin.

David rolled his eyes again and this time Mary saw and hit his arm. "You're encouraging her eye rolling habit!" Mary scolded him.

"So am I texting Killian and Neal or…" David glared at her. "Or not." Emma said playfully.

Mary giggled at her daughter. "I'm gonna go buy snacks and hair stuff and-" Emma interrupted her.

"Mom, it's not that big of a deal."

Mary looked shocked. "Of course it's a big deal! It's your first sleepover!" Mary exclaimed.

"I guess it is..." Emma smiled.

"Well, I'm gonna go the the snacks!"

Emma stopped her. "Why don't we let dad get the snacks?" Mary looked confused.

"Mary, she wants junk food for her sleepover."

She looked slightly offended. "What about the hair stuff?"

"Mom, we have all that stuff here. Remember my first week here, you insisted we get it for my ' _Long beautiful blonde locks'_ ".

Mary smiled. "Fine."

"And I think I'll volunteer for the night shift tonight." Mary and Emma both glared at him. "I'm am not staying in a house with 4 females if I have a choice."

"Understandable." Emma said.

David smiled. "I'll bring you your food, then I'm taking over for Graham at the station."

"Thanks dad, love you." Emma said, hugging David.

David kissed the top of her head. "Love you to princess." David then said goodbye to his wife and walked out the door and he was greeted by two very eager 12-year-old girls.

"Hi Mr. Nolan!" Belle said when she saw him.

David smiled. "Hello girls, don't be up too late tonight." He told them, while walking to his car.

"We won't!" Ruby yelled as he got in the car. Then the girls went inside.

*OUAT*

"Literally the best sleepover ever!" Belle exclaimed after the fifth movie with popcorn.

Emma glared at Belle. "Belle!" Emma whisper-yelled. "It's 3 am, if you wake my mom, I will kill you… After she kills me!"

"Sorry, I'm just having so much fun."

Emma smiled. "It's okay." Emma looked at a sleeping Ruby and mischievously smiled. "Art project?" Emma said, which only confused Belle. "Stay here, I'll be right back." Emma went up to her room and grabbed her multi-colored sharpies and went back downstairs.

"What are the sharpies for?" Belle asked and Emma responded by taking the cap off and writing her name on Ruby's head. "Emma! She's going to kill you!" Belle whisper-yelled.

"No, she's gonna kill us." Emma said, handing Belle a sharpie.

Belle smiled. "She's gonna kill us."

At around 6 am, Emma heard David's truck outside, and she was still as hyper as could be, Belle was too, so they decided to greet him at the front door, since they were all crashing in the living room.

"Hi dad!" Emma said when he walked through the front door.

David practically jumped out of his skin. "What the-" David stopped himself. "Why are you still awake Em?" David asked.

"Not tired!" Emma said hyperly.

"Me either!" Belle said.

David's eyes wandered over to a sleeping Ruby and saw all the coloring on her face and arms. "What did you guys do to Ruby's head?"

Belle smiled. "Ems said it was our very own art project." Belle said proudly.

"I shouldn't have gotten so much junk food." David said quietly. "You girls need to lay down."

"But I'm not tired dad. And there's no school tomorrow."

"Don't care, I said lay down."

Emma turned around and rolled her eyes, which caused Belle to laugh. "Fine." Emma pouted.

"Goodnight princess." David said kissing the top of her head.

"Dad!" Emma said embarrassed. "Really?" She asked and Belle giggled.

David laughed. "I love you."

"You too." Emma grumbled.

When David wandered up the stairs Belle teased Emma. "Come on _princess_ let's lay down."

"Shut up, and we only have to lay down until he falls asleep, which will probably be in like 10 minutes."

Belle looked over at Emma. "Good, because I'm hungry and I want more cake."

"Me too."

Mary woke up at around 7 am that Sunday morning to go on her run, when she walked down the stairs, she was surprised to see Emma and Belle chatting and finishing off the triple chocolate cake that David bought them.

"Emma Swan!"

Emma knew her mom was going to be upset about them being up so late, she didn't plan on her mom waking up so early. "Umm… Hi mom."

"What did I say about that cake?"

Emma gulped. "Um.. that dad shouldn't have bought it."

"What else?"

"Only one piece." Emma mumbled under her breath.

"Sorry, I didn't hear."

Emma had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at her mother, she knew if she did, she'd be in even more trouble. "You told me to tell Belle and Ruby that we could only have one piece." Emma told her.

"And did you?" Emma shook her head. "Both of you pick up this mess. And don't wake Ruby." Emma and Belle both nodded.

"I'm sorry mom."

"Me too Mrs. Nolan."

Mary smiled at the girls, acknowledging their apology, but not telling them it was okay. "I'm going for a run, I'll be back in an hour. When I return, I want all of this picked up." Emma nodded and Mary left.

"Sorry I didn't tell you Belle."

"That's okay Ems, I had fun last night." Belle said smiling and Emma mirrored the smile.

 _ **Please Review...**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Emma, hun wake up. It's time for school." Mary told her daughter.

Emma groaned. "Nuh-uh"

"Come on, time to wake up."

Emma groaned again. "Shh, I'm tryna sleep. Go away."

Mary laughed at her daughter. "Emma, really. You have to wake up for school."

"Don't wanna." She said groggily.

Mary shook her head. "And I don't care, you don't have a choice." Mary said uncovering Emma and pulling her up.

"This sucks…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I have to go in early, I have a meeting with the high school principal."

Emma gave her a puzzled look. "Why?"

"No clue, but your dad's gonna take you in today and I've talked to all your teachers about Ingrid."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Of course you did." She mumbled under her breath.

"Emma." Mary warned.

"Sorry."

Mary nodded. "It's okay, but get ready, I have to go." Mary kissed the top of Emma's head. "I love you and be good today."

"Love you too mom."

Mary smiled and left the room, then Emma got ready for school.

*OUAT*

David drove Emma to school and they're sitting in the car in the parking lot. "Okay Em, we got the restraining order out on Ingrid, so don't worry about anything." Emma nodded, not saying anything, obviously worrying about it. "What's wrong Em?"

Emma shrugged. "Nothing."

"It's obviously not nothing. I can tell somethings bothering you princess."

Emma sighed. "You said that a restraining order is just a piece of paper that says she can't come near me." Emma looked over at her dad. "That's all it is, just a piece of paper, what if she doesn't listen."

" _If_ she doesn't listen, then she goes to jail."

Emma nodded. "I love you dad, see you later. Don't forget, I have soccer tryouts today."

"Are you sure about that today Emma?"

"Positive dad, like you said, I have nothing to worry about. Plus, Ruby and Belle will be with me."

David nodded. "Do you want us to come watch?"

"I mean… If you guys aren't busy. But if you are, it's okay, I'd understand."

David smiled at her. "We'll be there, barring any emergencies, we'll be there."

"Thanks dad, bye." Emma said and got out of his truck.

*OUAT*

Emma was at soccer practice with her 2 best friends and he parents were watching from the bleachers, but what none of them knew is that Ingrid was watching from a distance, she was watching from behind the bleachers.

Emma was trying out as a forward, Ruby as the goalie, and Belle as the right-back-defender. They were all excellent and sure to get the positions.

Meanwhile, Ingrid camped out behind the bleachers to record Emma's tryouts, without anyone knowing.

Towards the end, Emma was ecstatic because she was informed that her and her friends all made the team. When she gave all her friends a group hug, she had this horrible feeling that she was being watched.

Emma looked all around her, then decided to shake the feeling out of her head.

"Can you believe we all made it?!" Belle asked excitedly.

Once the thought left Emma's head she smiled. "Yes! I knew we could do it!"

"I still can't believe I made head goalie! I thought for sure Mulan was gonna get it!" She said. "I'm just glad she's not upset."

"This is gonna be so awesome!" Emma exclaimed.

They all hugged again. "And Em, you rocked being forward! Are you sure you've never played before?" Belle asked.

"I've played the occasional street game with foster siblings, but other than that, no." Emma smiled. "But it was freaking amazing!"

Emma's smile grew wider as she saw her parents walking towards her. "You were so great babe!" Mary yelled in excitement.

"Absolutely amazing princess."

Emma's face went red as Belle and Ruby started laughing. "Dad, you really have to stop saying that in front of other people." Emma said hiding her face in her hands.

After the embarrassment faded, Emma hugged her parents.

"Thanks for coming you guys."

Mary smiled. "Wouldn't miss it for the world babe." Mary told her and Emma smiled. "Let's go home." Emma nodded and they all went home.

*OUAT*

Emma has had nightmares every night since she saw Ingrid for the first time, only they weren't all bad, so her parents only know about one of them.

She found herself lost in yet another dream about Mr. Fisher. Only this one was bad, really bad, she didn't realize she was screaming until her parents ran into her room to wake her.

"Emma! Wake up babe, just a dream, just a dream." Mary said climbing into bed with her to soothe her and she gave David a 'give us a minute' look and he left the room.

Emma was drenched in sweat and unable to pull herself dream. She continued to scream.

"Emma! Honey, its mom, I need you to wake up." Mary said pushing her blonde locks behind her ear. "Wake up hun." Emma's screams seemed to die down and she slowly woke up.

"Mom?"

Mary weakly smiled. "Hey babe, you okay?"

"I'm fine." She told her mother.

"Babe, you were screaming. I'm getting worried, this is your second nightmare since you've seen Ingrid."

Emma was still half-asleep, not realizing that she hasn't told her mother about all of her dreams. "No, it's my-" she stopped herself from finishing that sentence. "I know your worried mom, but-"

Mary interrupted her. "You were about to say something else. What was it?"

"I wasn't." Mary gave her a knowing look. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Emma."

Emma groaned. "I've had a few nightmares that I didn't tell you about, because they weren't that bad." Emma mumbled.

"What? How many?" Mary asked concerned.

Emma's eyes begin to water up, so she closes them. "Mom, it's-"

"How many Emma?" Mary asked her in a soothing tone.

"Every time I close my eyes… I see _h_ _im… Mr. Fisher._ He's a monster. A-and i-it's gotten worse after she showed up at Rubes house." She said, trying to withhold the sobs. "They-they didn't…. L-love me… But th-that's… all I can… think about… she said…. That they were… the only ones that… love me." Emma said in between sobs that she failed at withholding. "But… it-it's not true… y-you and d-dad… love me."

Mary kissed her head. "That's right hun, we do, and so do your friends. Those people, they're monsters. What they did to you was unforgivable." Emma nodded.

"I love you mom." Emma said and hugged her mom tightly. "Where's dad?"

David stepped in the room. "I'm right here princess."

"I love you both."

"And we love you." David told her.

*OUAT*

The day after Emma's tryouts, Ingrid went to go see her husband in prison, with a video of their previous foster daughter.

"Hello Jefferson, I have a gift for you." Ingrid said upon entering their private interrogation room.

Jefferson raised an eyebrow. "And what might that be, my love?"

"I found her, and I have a sweet video of her. Soccer tryouts. They do have a restraining order out on me, so I won't be able to get much but-"

He interrupted her. "This is great. We're gonna get our girl back." He whispered. "After you bust me out of this hell hole."

"Don't worry, I have a plan, be ready on Friday night at 6 pm. We'll get the reunion we've been waiting for."

 **To be continued…**

 _ **Please Review…**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

It was a late Friday night, Emma was over at Ruby's and David and Mary were having a date night, when they were interrupted by David's phone ringing, he stepped aside to take the call.

" _Sheriff Nolan speaking."  
_ " _David! It's Kaitlin, we need to talk."  
_ " _Is this about the restraining order on Ingrid?"  
_ " _No, it's about her husband. David, Where is Emma?"  
_ _David took a deep breath. "She's sleeping over at a friends house. What is going on?"  
_ " _I just received a phone call from the New Hampshire State Prison for Men."  
_ _David was getting worried. "And?"  
_ " _Jefferson Fisher, Ingrid's husband, escaped. David, he escaped 4 hours ago."  
_ _David's worry turned into anger. "And you're just now letting us know?"  
_ " _I just got the phone call David. The guards just realized who it was that escaped. You need to find her and stay with her! Keep my updated. Protect her David."  
_ " _Got it. I'll call you in a bit." David said and ended the call._

David ran back into the living room. "Mary, grab your coat and shoes, we gotta go get Emma."

"What's going on David?" Mary asked, standing up and doing as he said.

"Ingrid's husband escaped… 4 hours ago."

Mary's head snapped up. "What?!"

"Kaitlin just got the call and then called me."

Mary's pace quickened and they were out of the door before they knew it. They got in the car and sped to the Lucas residence.

When they arrived they started beating on the door. "For heaven's sake! Who is it?" Granny yelled upon opening the door. "Mary? David?"

"Where's Emma?" Mary asked.

"Her and Ruby went upstairs about 2 hours ago, Ruby wasn't feeling very well. What's going on Mary?"

David ran up the stairs and left Mary to explain. "That woman that was here last weekend, her husband escaped prison."

"Mary!" David yelled from up the stairs. Mary went up there as fast as she could, as did Granny. They all saw Ruby laying on her bed with a cold compress on her head, but no Emma. Mary made her way over to Ruby. "Ruby can you wake up for me?" That's when she noticed Emma's phone on the bed.

"Mary? What's going on?"

Mary weakly smiled at her. "Do you know where Emma is?"

"She put the cold rag in my head, but then I fell asleep. What's going on?"

She felt Ruby's head. "Just go back to sleep."

"No, where's Emma?" She asked sitting up. "What's going on?"

Granny came over. "It's gonna be okay Ruby, but you need to go to sleep dear."

"But Emma's my best friend, where is she, she was here before I fell asleep. Where is she?" Ruby asked, tearing up. "I'm sorry, I should've stayed awake with her." She said crying.

"Hey, hey, it's not your fault sweetie, you have a fever. Please hun, go back to sleep." Mary told her.

Ruby tried to protest, but she was too tired and dozed back off.

They all stepped out of the room and Mary broke down. "David, where the hell is our daughter?"

"We're gonna figure it out Mary, when you were talking to Ruby, I called it in. We will find her."

Mary nodded. "W-we should move Ruby out of her room, it-it's a crime scene." She said to Granny and she nodded.

 **2 Hours Ago…**

After eating dinner, Ruby started to feel sick and Emma noticed. "Are you okay Rubes?"

She shook her head. "My stomach feels like crap."

"I'll go tell Granny then I'll help you up to bed." Ruby nodded and Emma went into the other room to tell Granny. "Granny?"

"Yes hun?"

"Ruby doesn't feel too well, so I'm gonna help her up to bed."

Granny smiled sweetly. "You don't have to hun, it's okay, I can do it."

"I want to." She told her smiling.

Granny mirrored her smile. "If you're sure."

Emma nodded and went to help Ruby upstairs. "Come on Rubes." Emma said helping Ruby up and then helping her up the stairs into her room and over to her bed. "Lay down Ruby."

Ruby nodded her head and laid down. "Thanks for helping me Emma."

"Do you have a headache?" Emma asked and Ruby nodded her head. "I'll be right back."

Emma went into Ruby's bathroom and grabbed a cold compress for her. "You're a good best friend and you're good at helping me."

"Thanks Rubes, when I was in temporary homes, me and Auggie used to help the kids that were sick, even if they were older."

Ruby smiled at her, then shortly after, she fell asleep.

Emma kept thinking she heard things outside, but she just thought she was imagining things, so she shook the thought away.

She sat her phone on the bed next to Ruby and went to the bathroom, when she came back, she knew something was different, she sat next to Ruby, then she noticed that the previously closed window was now open.

She quickly stood up, then she felt something being put over her mouth, she couldn't place the smell, but it had somewhat of a sweet taste, then everything went black.

 **Present Time…**

Emma woke up in a dark room, she had no clue what was going on. "Hello? Who's there?"

"Oh Emma, sweet, sweet Emma, you're awake."

' _No'_ She thought. She knew that voice anywhere. "It's just a dream, it's just a dream, it's just a dream." She chanted to herself.

"Oh, but it's not. Ingrid, come out here!" He shouted and Ingrid came out in some sort of police uniform. "My wife broke me out of prison using this uniform."

Emma just continued mumbling to herself. "Just a dream… Mom, dad, please wake me up. I'm scared."

"They aren't your parents Emma, we are." Ingrid told her.

"Yes they are! You guys are monsters! They love me!"

Jefferson was getting angry. "Don't speak to us that way Emma!" He yelled angrily.

"I-I'm sorry Mr. F-Fisher." She said starting to cry.

He disgustingly smiled at her. "Don't worry my sweet girl, I could never stay angry at you." He said stroking her cheek and she backed away as much as she could.

"Do not touch me! My dad is the sheriff, he'll find me!" Emma yelled standing up, tears uncontrollably pooling from her eyes.

Jefferson got angry and grabbed her shoulder violently pushing her to the floor. "I don't appreciate being disrespected! And neither does your mother."

"You guys aren't my parents! I want my parents!"

*OUAT*

As soon as Kaitlin was notified of Emma's disappearance, she started driving to Storybrooke, she will arrive in a few hours.

Mary realized that they had to get a hold of August. "David, where's the emergency number to August's army base!? We have to let him know what's going on."

"It's in the desk drawer in our bedroom."

She nodded and ran out of the sheriff's station and drove home. Once she arrived, she ran up the stairs and pulled out the number to his base and made the call.

 _"Fort Hunter Liggett US Army base, Sergeant Williams speaking."_  
 _"Hello, yes, I need to speak with August Booth now!... Sir." Mary yelled through the phone._  
 _Her yelling threw the sergeant off guard. "May I ask who I'm speaking with?"_  
 _"His sister's mother, Mary! I need to speak with him."_  
 _He sighed. "Yes ma'am, just a moment."_

"Corporal Booth!"

August jumped off of his bed and saluted to the sergeant. "Yes sir."

"Phone call." He said handing August the base phone. August answered it in front of his fellow marines, thinking nothing of it.

" _Corporal Booth."  
_ " _August! It's Mary!"  
_ _August was confused. "Mary? What's wrong? This line is for emergencies only."  
_ " _This is an emergency August!"  
_ _August had a bad feeling, he could hear the panic in her voice. "What's wrong? Where is Emma?!"  
_ " _August."  
_ _His breathing was starting to increase. "Where is she Mary?!"  
_ " _She was kidnapped by her previous foster parents, the Fisher's!"  
_ " _Th-that's imp… That's impossible, he's in… He is in prison."  
_ " _He escaped."  
_ _Suddenly August couldn't breathe._

The marines around him started to stare and his best friend Private Kristoff Arendale ran up to him. "Booth what is it? Did something happen with your sister?"

August nodded, then brought the phone back up to his ear.

" _How… How did he know where to find her?"  
_ _She took a deep breath. "Ingrid probably told him."  
_ " _And how the hell did Ingrid find her?"  
_ " _She didn't tell you?!"  
_ _He sighed. "Tell me what?!"  
_ " _Last week we crossed paths at the ice cream shop, then she started having nightmares."  
_ " _Dammit!" He yelled and punched the metal frame of his bed. "Do you have any idea what those monsters did to her?!"  
_ " _Yes August! I know! She's been having nightmares every night since we ran into Ingrid! She told me what they did to her!"  
_ _He took a deep breath. "I'm not sure how, but I'll be there tomorrow." He said as calmly as he could.  
_ " _I'll see you tomorrow August."  
_ _August ended the call._

"I need to leave…" He told Kristoff.

His eyes went wide, then he pulled August to a private area where they could talk.. "What? What is going on?"

"My sister, she… she was kidnapped."

"What? How? Who?"

August sighed. "The Fisher's."

" _The_ Fisher's?"

August nodded. "His wife broke him out and they took her, I didn't ask for the details."

"If Williams doesn't let you leave, I'll break you out if I have to."

August took a deep breath. "I need to talk to the sergeant." Kristoff nodded.

 _ **Please Review...**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

August knocked on his sergeants door, they were in between missions, so he was at his base instead of being in actual active duty.

"Enter." His sergeant said from his office. August entered the room and saluted. "As you were."

He dropped his hand down to his side. "Sir, I need to go home."

"Corporal, that isn't going to happen. We leave Sunday at 08:00."

August internally sighed. "Sir, I have to get back, my sister's life is on the line."

"I understand corp-"

August interrupted. "All do respect sir, but you don't understand, my sister was kidnapped! I need to get back to her!... Sir."

"Sit down corporal." August nodded and sat down. "August, I've known you for 3 years, ever since you joined the force."

"So you know why I joined originally?"

He nodded. "Assault charges."

"Assault charges on the man that… He molested my sister, and now he has kidnapped her."

His sergeant seemed genuinely surprised. "I thought he was in prison corporal."

"His wife broke him out. And they have my sister sir!" August said standing up. "Jake, they have my sister." August said to him near tears. "She's only 12, she's been through too much, I can't let her go through that again."

His sergeant stood up and walked over to hug him, breaking all types of procedures. "August, pull yourself together." August nodded and did what he was told. "If I allow you to leave, I don't know if the General will allow you to come back. Unless,"

"I understand sir."

"I'm not finished." August looked at him, confused. "I can transfer you to reserves, but you'll only be allowed back if we're shorthanded."

August saluted to his sergeant. "Thank you sir."

"Go get your belongings together." The sergeant typed some things on his computer. "There's a flight out to Maine at 03:00." August smiled. "Exit."

August left the room to pack his bags.

"What's going on Aug?" Kristoff asked.

August looked over to his best friends and saw all of his brothers looking at him. "You guys, something has happened with my sister, so I'm being transferred to the reserves, so I can help her."

"Sir, is everything alright?" Private Johnston asked.

August sighed, but couldn't bring himself to say it again, so Kristoff answered for him. "No it's not Johnston, someone…. Someone took his sister."

That immediately got the attention of everyone. "This isn't goodbye forever Private's, I'll be back one day." August told them, after he finished packing his bag. "I best get going, my flight leaves in a few hours."

They all saluted to him and he saluted back. "Goodbye Corporal Booth." They all said in unison.

"Goodbye Private's."

August hitchhiked to the airport and was the first to board the plane. He figured if he boarded early enough he could watch the news on the plane.

He was sitting in his seat, watching the Maine news, when a woman sat next to him. "It's a shame isn't it, the poor girl can't be older than 13." She said referring to the picture of Emma on the news.

"She's 12." He mumbled, confusing the woman next to him. "She's my baby sister."

Over the hours on the plane, everyone was talking about the kidnapping.

*OUAT*

"Have you found anything David?" Mary asked her husband.

"We have footage of Ingrid escorting Fisher out of the prison."

"How the hell did she escort him out?" She asked, tears streaming down her face.

David sighed. "She got a hold of a corrections officers uniform and badge." David took a deep breath to calm himself. "Forensics says that she was taken at about 8:30."

"David, I told her that they couldn't hurt her anymore. I told her that _we_ would protect her from those monsters. David she has been with him for over 11 hours! 11 hours David!"

"I know Mary! The Fed's won't let me me help! I only know this much because Graham is keeping me updated."

Mary took a deep breath. "I'm sorry David, I'm just worried. She's just a little girl, who would do something like this?!" David was about to respond when Mary's phone started to ring.

" _Hello!?" Mary asked frantically, somehow hoping it was Emma calling.  
_ " _It's August, the flight attendant let me use the phone in the cockpit, I'll be there in an hour."  
_ _Mary sighed. "We don't have her back yet August. The FBI is on it."  
_ " _I know, it's all over the news, everyone on the damn plane is talking about it."  
_ " _They kicked David off the case."  
_ _August sighed. "I figured that they would. How did this happen?"  
_ " _She was at a sleepover, her friend was sick and fell asleep, they took her around 8:30 last night." Mary said, crying.  
_ _August sighed. "I'll see you in a bit." He ended the call._

*OUAT*

"Deputy, our forensic analyst just called, she told us that we have footage of Ingrid and Jefferson Fisher driving in the direction of a deserted rural area of town." One of the agents told Graham.

"Show me on the map." Graham told him, pulling a map of Storybrooke out of his desk and laying it on a desk.

The agent grabbed a marker and circled an area of the map. "Right around here."

"There's one estate there, it's been abandoned for years though. It's a large piece of land, perfect for seclusion. Let's go."

"I'll contact the rest of my team."

Graham nodded. "And I'm contacting David, and before you object, it's his daughter, my loyalties lie with him, not the FBI."

The agent nodded and Graham made the call.

" _David! We might have a location!"  
_ " _What?! Where?" David asked frantically.  
_ " _Abandoned farmhouse on the edge of town."  
_ " _I'll be there in a few minutes, we both know my place is closest to the area."  
_ " _That's why I called you boss."  
_ _David ended the call and told Mary, but made her stay and he left to go get his daughter._

Once David exited his home he saw August running towards his house. "August get in the truck! We found her."

August didn't ask questions, he just did as he was told. When they were both in the truck, David pulled a gun out of the safe in the glovebox and handed it to August.

*OUAT*

"Please Mr. Fisher don't hurt me!" Emma begged.

He smiled. "Don't worry sweet Emma, I won't show you love like I used to, you're too old now. But you will be punished for lying to that boy."

"I didn't lie! What you did to me was wrong! August was just protecting me!"

Jefferson stepped closer to Emma and tightened ropes around her hands and feet. "You did lie." He said and kicked her.

"Please… Stop."

He smiled. "No."

"Jeff, grab the girl and come on! The sheriff's truck is outside!" Ingrid yelled from the other room.

He got angry. "Dammit! Come on Emma."

"No! Get away from me! I told you he'd come for me! I told you!" Emma yelled trying to get away from him and to stall him as much as she could.

"Shut up and come on!" he said and grabbed her, she struggled as much as she could, but he picked her up and ran out to the car with his wife.

"Dammit! Put! Me! Down!" She yelled, squeezing her eyes shut, then she opened eyes when he stopped.

"Put my daughter down right now!" She saw her dad.

"Put me down!" Emma screamed! "Now!" Emma tried wiggling out of his arms, but the ropes around her hands and feet didn't help much.

Jefferson slowly put her down despite Ingrid's protests. "He wouldn't have shot you if you were holding her! Idiot!"

"Shut it Ingrid!" He yelled to his wife.

"Hands on your head! Both of you!" David cuffed the Fisher's and then August lowered the gun and they both ran over to Emma.

"Daddy, you found me."

He gave her a weak smile. "I did princess." He said, trying to carefully remove the ropes from her hands and August was doing the same with her feet.

"Is Ruby okay? Did he hurt her? She's sick! Did he-."

After he removed the roped from her hands he stroked her hair. "Ruby's fine, she's just worried about you."

"I wanna go home." She said as August finished getting the ropes off of her feet.

"We gotta take you to the hospital Ducky." August told her.

Emma was so terrified, she didn't even see August. "Auggie? When did you get here?"

He smiled. "I just got to town half an hour ago."

"I thought you weren't going to be back for a while."

"You're more important than the army Ducky."

Emma smiled. "I missed you Auggie."

They heard sirens in the distance. "Took them long enough." David said, then walked over to Jefferson and punched him. "Dad!"

"He deserved it Em." August told her.

"I know… But when you did, they sent you away!"

August gave her a smile. "They aren't gonna send him away, and I'm gonna be around a lot more."

He told her, then paramedics rushed over and put her in one, and David went with.

 _ **Please Review...**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Merry Christmas my lovelies! ~ Jasmine**_

 **Chapter 12**

Emma woke up in a hospital bed, with a killer headache and her stomach was hurting as well. She opened her eyes and saw her mother asleep in a plastic chair, but no dad and no August. "Mom?"

Mary woke up and saw her daughter. "Emma." Mary reached up and stroked her hair. "Are you okay babe?"

Emma nodded, then made room for her mom to get in bed with her. "That chair looks really uncomfortable mom. Lay with me?"

"Okay hun." She said, then climbed in bed next to her daughter. "Do you wanna talk about what happened?"

The memories were rushing back to her mind, she needed to cry, but didn't want to. "I'm fine." She mumbled.

"Babe, you're not fine, and that's okay." Mary looked at Emma and saw her fighting off the tears. "It's okay to cry."

Her bottom lip began to quiver, so her mom hugged her and that was it for Emma, she couldn't hold in her tears anymore. She sobbed into her mothers chest for what felt like forever.

Eventually she ran out of tears and she looked up at her mother. "Now tell me, do you wanna talk about it?"

"When I woke up in that room and I saw _him,_ I-I thought it was another nightmare." She took a deep breath. "I kept saying that it-it was just a dream and they laughed." She said then looked down. "I was begging for you or dad to j-just wake m-me up." She said refusing to make eye contact with her mother.

Mary noticed her reluctance to make eye contact. "Look at me babe." Emma shook her head. Mary placed two fingers under her daughters chin and lifted it up.

"I'm sorry mom."

Mary was confused. "For what?"

"I'm causing s-so much trouble, you should've gotten a normal kid, not me, I-I'm just broken."

Mary looked at her daughter and saw the sadness in her eyes. "Emma Swan, you are not broken, you've been through a lot, but that does not make you broken. Do you understand?" She asked her seriously and Emma shrugged. "I need you to understand this babe."

"I understand mom." Mary hugged her daughter.

*OUAT*

After a few days in the hospital, Emma is finally discharged and gets to go home. "Is it time to go yet?" She asked her parents impatiently.

"Em, be patient, we have to wait for the nurse."

Emma groaned. "But I'm ready to go, I miss my bed." She whined.

"Emma, just wait for the nurse to bring the wheelchair." Her dad told her.

She rolled her eyes at the mention of the wheelchair. She knows it's procedure, she's been through this enough times, it just sucks. "It's not like they broke my legs." She mumbled.

"Emma." Her mother warned.

"Sorry."

Moments later the nurse walked in with a wheelchair. She came over to Emma to help her into the chair.

"I can walk." Emma told her.

The nurse smiled at her. "Emma, you hurt your ribs badly, you shouldn't be walking at all, at least not for a few weeks. I've told you this 3 times."

Emma rolled her eyes. " _I'm_ not the one that did it." She mumbled under her breath.

"Em, please just let her help you into the wheelchair." Mary said.

She reluctantly nodded. "Fine." The nurse then helped her into the chair, ignoring Emma's dirty looks and then her dad pushed a very pouty Emma outside.

Once they got to the truck, Emma tried getting up to get in the truck, but her dad stopped her. "Uh-uh."

"What?"

"She said no walking." David told her.

Her jaw almost dropped to the ground. "Dad, it's like 2 steps."

"I'll just have to pick you up." He told her nonchalantly.

"Not happening." She told him, but he ignored her and picked her up. "Dad!" She whined. "Put me down!" She said laughing.

By the time they were all in the car their laughter died down a bit. Then Emma started to worry as to why her brother wasn't there and her mom noticed that she looked a little upset. "What are you thinking about babe?" Mary asked her, sweeping Emma's hair behind her ear.

"Where's Auggie?"

"He's at the house making lunch, why?"

Emma sighed. "Is he mad at me?"

"Why would he be mad at you hun?" Mary asked.

"Because I didn't tell him that Ingrid was here." She said and looked down.

Mary pulled her daughter closer to her, then Emma laid her head on her mothers. "Why didn't you tell him?"

"I just… I didn't want him to worry. If he would've found out, then he would've flipped out and it's not like he could do anything." She said and shrugged.

Mary pulled her daughter into a hug. "I don't think he's mad at you babe, but you might have to talk to him about it. He's probably a little upset, but I doubt he's mad."

Emma nodded and hugged her mother, before they knew it, they were at home and August was standing in the front yard, holding a sign that read: ' _ **Welcome Home Ducky!**_ '

Emma smiled and looked at her parents. "I love you guys."

"And we love you princess." David told her. "Let's get you inside." He said lifting her up and carrying her to the door.

"You know dad, we don't necessarily have to do what the nurse told us to. I could walk and she'd never know." She told her father hopefully.

"I don't think so." Mary said from behind them.

Emma fake pouted. "Nice try Ducky." August said, lifting her out of her dad's arms. "Let's get you inside."

Once August sat Emma on the couch he tried to walk away, but she grabbed his hand. "Auggie, are you mad at me?"

"Honestly?" Emma nodded. "I want to be mad, but I can't, it's nearly impossible for me to stay mad at you Ducky."

Emma's eyes began to water up. "I'm really sorry Auggie, I should have told you."

"None of that Ducky, no tears." He said wiping her tears away. "Can I ask why you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry, you worry all the time and it's-it's... you shouldn't have to worry."

August smiled at his sister. "It's my job to worry Em." He said, then pulled her into a hug. "I love you Ems, more than anything."

"I love you too."

 _ **Please Review...**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

A few months have passed since the Fisher's were arrested, Emma still has nightmares, but not as often as at first. It's halfway through May, which means that she can be officially adopted.

"Em, wake up!" Mary shouted enthusiastically.

Emma groans at her mother's enthusiasm. "Sleeping."

"Emma, do you know what today is?"

"Whatever it is, it can wait." She told her mom and went back to sleep.

Mary smiled. " _Okay_ ," she taunted her daughter. "I guess you don't want to be adopted today."

Emma's head shot up. "What?! That's today?"

"Not anymore, you're sleeping… remember?"

Emma shook her head profusely. "I'm awake! I gotta get ready!" Mary laughed at her daughter's newfound enthusiasm.

Emma jumped out of bed, showered, then got dressed. She's wearing a navy blue sleeveless dress, there is a baby pink ribbon across the front at about midline, with a white and navy blue rose attached to it, the bottom half of the dress is covered in white stars. She wore a black flowy cardigan over it.

She bounced down the stairs with a smile on her face. "Hey guys! What time do we have to leave?"

"If you wanna stop by Granny's on the way, then in about 40 minutes." David told her, then smiled. "You look beautiful, princess."

She smiled. "Thanks dad." She then looked at her mom. "Can you help me with my hair… and stuff?"

"Of course!" Mary beamed, then followed her daughter up to her room. "Em? Why are we in my room?"

Emma smiled. "Because I was hoping that you might let me wear some of your makeup?... Please?" She asked her soon-to-be adoptive mother.

"I don't know how your father would feel about that." Mary told her, unsure.

"Please mom? I'm almost a teenager. And all my friends wear makeup… Even Killian!" Mary gave her a puzzled look. "Relax, it's just eyeliner and it brings out his eyes!" Emma immediately defended. "Plus, we're hanging out later with Rubes, Belle, and Regina."

"Killian? Addison and Brennan's son?" Emma nodded. "Do you… like him?"

A blush crept upon Emma's cheeks. "Killian? I mean… yeah… we-we're friends… we can't very well be friends if we do-don't like each other." Emma said stuttering and stumbling over her words. "So um… can you _please_ do my hair and makeup?"

"Fine, but only a little bit."

Emma smiled at her mother. "Yay!" She hugged her mother excitedly.

"But I do have news for you and your father, it's about my job."

Emma gave her a curious look, then went back to being happy about her mother doing her hair and makeup.

Emma and Mary walked down the stairs, Emma had some makeup on, not much, but she also had an updo, matching her mothers.

"Look at my girls, you both look beautiful!" David said, subtly ushering his wife and daughter outside. "Time to go, we gotta make the stop at Granny's quick."

*OUAT*

"I grant you Mary Margaret and David Nolan, full custody of Emma Ruth Nolan." The judge said gladly.

They were all in tears. "It's finally real, no-one can take me away from you guys!" Emma said, as the happy tears streamed down her face.

They all left the courthouse and drove home. "Mom, do you wanna tell us what the news is before or after I go to Granny's?"

"Now works sweetie." They all sat down on the couch. "I got a promotion!" Mary practically yelled.

"That's awesome mom! What's your new job or position or whatever?"

"I'm the new Storybrooke High School English teacher, and guess what!"

Emma smiled, truly happy for her mother. "What?"

"I teach all grade levels! So I can potentially be your teacher for all of high school!" Mary told her daughter excitedly.

Emma gulped. "E-every year?"

Mary nodded enthusiastically. "I'm so excited! Don't worry hun, I'll keep the embarrassment to a minimum." Mary winked at her daughters expression and Emma laughed, she isn't totally sure how to feel.

"I'm happy for you mom, really! It's a bit of a… shock, but as long as you're happy, so am I." Emma told her mother honestly.

"I'm so glad to hear that honey!" She let out a sigh of relief. "Well hun, do you want a ride, or do wanna walk to the diner?"

"I can walk, but thanks mom, love you both." Emma said blowing both of her parents kisses upon exiting her house.

"Oh my God David! I've been dying to tell you this _all_ day!" He gave his wife a puzzled expression. "I think that Emma has her first real crush!"

David's face whitened. "She's got a what?!"

"Relax David, it's harmless!" She told him laughing.

*OUAT*

Months have passed and it has reached the day of October 23rd, she knows her parents are gonna make a big deal about it. ' _Hopefully they won't remember reading it in my file.'_ She thought. ' _Yeah right.'_

She rolled out of bed and made her way down the stairs, grumpy as ever.

"Morning Emma!" Her mom squealed when she saw her.

Emma gave her a ' _seriously?'_ look. "Too early." She grumbled.

"Emma, what's wrong?" She laid her head down on the counter, she felt a headache coming on, just the thought of her birthday made her stomach turn,

"Nothin' just tired." Emma said shrugging.

Mary looked at her skeptically. "Let's have a good day today, huh? You are officially a teenager today!" She said cheerily.

"Does this mean I can start sneaking out in the middle of the night to see boys? You know, the whole teenager stage." Emma joked.

"Absolutely not!" David said entering the room, causing them both to laugh. "Happy Birthday Princess." He said kissing the top of her head. "But seriously, no boys… ever." He said seriously.

Emma rolled her eyes, then got up. "I'm gonna go get ready for school."

"Okay sweetie, but how about we have a get together at Granny's tonight? It doesn't have to big if you don't want it to be."

Emma gave her a small smile. "Only us and Belle and Ruby… and maybe Killian."

"Killian doesn't have to come Princess." David told her, she responded with a confused look.

"Why not? If it's because he's a boy, don't worry, I doubt I'll be dating for at least another year." She told him with a smirk.

"Year?! More like 30!" He yelled, probably a bit too seriously, but was then elbowed in the ribs by his wife.

Emma rolled her eyes and laughed. "See you guys after school."

"Bye honey!" Her mother yelled.

"Happy Birthday!" They said simultaneously as she left the house.

*OUAT*

After about half an hour at Granny's, Emma had a bathroom break, on her way back, she got a phone call, so before returning, she took the call.

" _Hello?"_

" _Well, hello there sweet Emma."_

 _Only one person calls her sweet Emma. "How… How are you calling me?"_

" _Oh dear! It's not just Jefferson, I'm here too!" Ingrid cheered._

" _Answer my question! How the hell are you guys calling me?!" She all but yelled, gaining the attention of Granny, because Granny was in the back of the diner getting cleaning supplies._

Granny gave Emma a 'What's wrong?' look, so Emma covered the speaker on the phone. "Can you get my parent's… They… The Fisher's are on the phone." Granny nodded, then rushed to the dining area of the diner, while Emma slipped out of the back door, as to not make a big scene.

" _Emma dear, you'd be surprised by what the guards here would do for a promise of a little money." Ingrid taunted._

" _Wh-What do y-you mean?"_

 _Jefferson let out one of his disgusting dark chucked. "Oh sweet Emma, are you scared, huh? Are you scared little sweet Emma?"_

" _Don't call me that!" She snapped. "Y-you guys are m-monsters!"_

" _Oh dear, quite the opposite actually, we saved-"_

" _You did_ _ **not**_ _save me! You.. You... You ruined me! I'll never be the same because of you!" She took a shaky breath. "What you guys did to me! It was, it is unforgivable! I can't even enjoy my birthday because of you Mr. Fisher! You… You broke me in so many ways! I was only 9 for God's sake!"_

" _You were a big girl Emma." He said calmly, and Emma heard Ingrid laughing._

At this point Mary, David and August made their way outside, but didn't say anything, giving Emma a chance to say her piece, they knew that she needed to let all of her emotions out.

" _And you! Ingrid! You just sat back at let it happen to me! I was a little girl! I was scared and I thought you cared! But I screamed! I screamed for you! I begged you to help me, to make him stop! But you never came!" Emma was now sobbing._

" _I don't know what you're talking about dear, you lied to that boy that hurt my Jeff."_

" _I…didn't… lie!" She screamed in between sobs, then she took a shaky breath. "August was protecting me!" She yelled angrily defending her big brother. "You guys were my foster parents! You're supposed to help kids, protect me! You were supposed to help and protect_ _ **me**_ _! You failed!"_

" _We did help you, we made you stronger! Can you deny that?" Jefferson taunted. "Admit it sweet girl, you're stronger, all because of us!"_

" _Because of you? No! The only thing you ever did for me was…. I-I'm damaged goods!" She screamed, not realizing her family was right behind her. "I hate you! I hate both of you so much!" She yelled sobbing._

"That's enough dammit!" August said, going over and snatching the phone from Emma. Immediately after, she ran into her parents arms, then listened to what August was saying.

" _I don't care who the hell you are! You never contact her again! Or i swear to God, I will finish what I started almost 4 years ago!" August yelled into the phone, beyond pissed._

" _So, you must be August?" Ingrid asked._

" _Yeah! I'm August! I'm her brother! And so help me God! If I hear of you contacting my little sister again… Let's just say, you won't live to regret it!" And with that, August ended the call._

When August ended the call, he turned around to see his little sister still sobbing into her father's chest. After a few minutes, her crying slowly stopped, but then they realized that she fell asleep, with Mary stroking her hair, August rubbing her back soothingly, and David cradling her head.

 _ **A/N : I thought that I should write a scene where Emma could let out all the anger that she's been hold in... So I did**_

 _ **And just my personal opinion, if you hate my writing so much, why read it? Just simply don't read my stories.**_

 _ **I'm perfectly fine with feedback, tell me if what I'm writing doesn't make sense, leave tips, but if you wanna hate on my writing just because you wanna, why read it in the first place?**_

 _ **To all those who support me and tell me that I'm doing okay, thank you!**_

 _ **~Jasmine**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Once David placed Emma in her bed, she started to stir awake. "Mom? Dad?"

"We're here babe." Her mother told her.

"Did Auggie stay at his room at the Inn?" Then she heard a chuckle come from the doorway, but Emma didn't know he was there, so it scared her. "What the he-... Heck August!" Emma said, kind of hoping no one heard her near slipup. "You scared me!"

They all had to hold a laugh back, all three noticing her slipup. "Sorry Ducky, but did you really think I'd leave without a proper goodbye?"

She weakly smiled at him and sat up. "You could have woken me, you didn't have to come all the way over."

"All the way? It's like a 5 minute ride from here to Granny's Ducky."

Emma smiled. "I'm a Swan." Emma sighed. "I love you Auggie."

He came over and Mary moved so he could say goodbye, he sat on her bed and hugged her. "I love you too Ems." Once he broke the hug he looked at her and smiled. "I'm gonna head back to the Inn, but call me if you need anything." Emma nodded and August told her goodbye by kissing her head, then he left. So, Mary and David decided that it was a good time to talk to her about what they overheard.

"Princess, can we talk to you?" David asked and Emma just shrugged, so Mary decided to take over.

"Babe, we need you to know that you aren't damaged."

Emma looked up shocked. "Y-you heard that?" She asked sadly.

"We did." Mary told her and Emma looked down avoiding eye contact. "Look at us Em." Emma glanced up, then immediately looked back down, so Mary softly grabbed Emma's chin in between her thumb and index finger, forcing Emma to make eye contact.

"Why do th-they have to ruin everything for me?" She asked her parents, holding back a sob. "I-I was actually having an g-good birthday! I was happy on my birthday! I was celebrating, b-but then they had to call. How the hell-?" Emma took a deep breath. "I'm sorry… Dad, they said something about bribing a guard! They're supposed to be the good guys!"

Both of her parents pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "I'll call the prison first thing tomorrow morning Princess."

"It-it's not fair! I… I thought… I didn't think that I could ever hate someone, but then I met _them._ I hate them! I'm never gonna be normal, they broke me mom, and I can't be fixed."

Mary broke the hug first, then David followed suit. "Emma, you are _not_ broken, you do _not_ need to be fixed! And who the heck needs normal! It's boring! And you, Emma _Nolan,_ you aren't boring." Mary told her, showing emphasis on their last name.

"Why did he do it? And why did Ingrid pretend not to know? I don't understand."

"We don't know princess."

There was a long comfortable silence, until Emma spoke up. "No one saw you carrying me… right?" Emma asked her father.

He chuckled. "No Em, we were already outside."

"Thank God." Emma said relieved. "That would've been embarrassing."

They both laughed. "I think you'd better go back to sleep princess, mom and I will stay in here tonight."

"You guys don't need to do that, I'm okay. I haven't had a nightmare in weeks." She assured them, but they still seemed reluctant. "You guys, if I have a nightmare, I promise that I'll wake you. Deal?" Her parents shared a silent conversation. "You realize that it's not fair when you guys have your weird eye conversations."

The both smiled. "Fine, it's a deal." Her father told her.

"But babe, if you need anything, no matter how small, just wake us please." Mary told her and Emma nodded.

"Okay, now go sleep in your big comfy bed!" She told them jokingly. They both told her goodnight and went to their 'big comfy bed'.

After of 2 hours of laying in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, those words echoing her head " _You'd be surprised by what the guards here would do for a little money."_ It has Emma terrified. ' _Could they bribe a guard to break them out? Are they gonna come back and hurt me? Or mom? Or even dad?'_ She thought, but she decides against waking her parents and instead, she decides to steal some coffee. ' _What they don't know won't hurt them… right?'_

She tiptoed down the stairs and turned the coffee pot on, after about 10 minutes of watching the coffee brew, she poured herself a cup, then added a ton of sugar. She took a drink and moaned in delight at the taste, then set her cup on the kitchen island.

"Emma?"

Her father startled her. "Shit dad!" She said, then clapped her hands over her mouth after realizing what she said.

"Emma." He scolded. "What on earth are you doing up at" David looked over at the wall clock. "1:30 in the morning?"

"Sorry." She said sheepishly, then glanced down at her coffee, hoping her father didn't realize what she was drinking.

Much to Emma's demise, her father noticed her guiltily glancing down at the cup in her hands. "And what are you drinking?"

"... a hot beverage..." She answered vaguely.

David saw Emma's guilty expression, so he glanced at the counter to see that there was coffee made. "Emma. You shouldn't be up this late, let alone drinking coffee." He chided. "Now, do you wanna tell me what's up?" She shrugged. "Well, let's get you back up to bed." He said putting his hands on her shoulders, guiding her back up the stairs.

When they reached her bedroom door Emma stopped and turned around to face her dad. "Dad..." She whimpered, letting a tear slip.

"What is it?" He asked, his voice laced with concerned.

"I-I'm scared, I… I think if I go to sleep I'll have more nightmares, a-and I haven't had a bad one in weeks." He pulled her into a hug, cradling her head. "Daddy, please don't make me go to sleep, please?" She begged him, crying as quietly as she can, not wanting to wake her mother.

"Shh, you're okay." He broke the hug and wiped the tears from her face. "I'm sorry princess, you have to sleep, but how about you lay with mom and I tonight. Sound good?"

Emma looked up. "But… I'm 13, you don't… you don't think I'm too old?"

"You could be 30 and you wouldn't be too old, you'll always be my princess." He said and kissed her head. "Now come on." Emma nodded in response. Then her father led her to the master bedroom, Emma immediately climbed into bed and cuddled up to her mom.

"Emma?" Mary asked stirring from her sleep and wrapping and arm around her daughter.

She just melted into her mother's embrace. "I didn't mean to wake you mom, sorry."

"It's okay babe, just go back to sleep." David chuckled. "What?" Mary asked her husband.

"She never went to sleep. She was scared of having a nightmare and she didn't want to wake us. And in case you haven't noticed, she's a little stubborn, so no matter what we told her, there was no chance of her wake us up." He said with a chuckle.

"You're probably right." She sighed and looked down at Emma to see her sound asleep. "Looks like she just needed the comfort of her parents."

"Let's go to sleep, I can tell you all about what I caught her doing in the morning."

 **Emma's Dream**

 _She woke up confused. 'How did I get back in my room?' She thought. "Mom? Dad?" Then she was distracted by the sound of footsteps approaching the door._

" _Well, good morning dear!" Ingrid said._

" _No! You… You were in jail!"_

 _Ingrid laughed. "As I told you before, the guards are gullible, all you have to do is promise them some money and they let you go! Well, more accurately break you out, but nonetheless, we're out."_

" _Where are my parents? Mom?! Dad?!"_

 _She laughed tauntingly at Emma. "Don't worry dear, there with Jefferson, in the other room."_

" _I want to see my parents! Take me to see them! Now!"_

 _Ingrid smiled at her. "Well, if you insist dear!" She grabbed Emma's forearm and dragged her to her parents' bedroom._

 _She was her parents' both tied to separate chairs, but her father's mouth was taped, while her mother's was not. "Emma!" Mary yelled, while Davod's eyes widened._

" _Mom! Dad!" Emma attempted to run towards them, but Ingrid gripped onto her arm even harder than before, then Jefferson emerged from the shadows with her father's gun._

" _Sweet, sweet Emma! Did you miss us?" Jefferson taunted. "Well I missed you! And these people took you from us!"_

 _Emma couldn't contain her tears anymore. "Please! Don't take them away! Please! I-I'll go with you!"_

" _Emma! No!" Her mother yelled and her father fought against the restraints to try to protest, but couldn't._

 _Emma took a shaky breath. "Mom, I love you, and you Dad, b-but if it means you'll-" Ingrid stopped her mid sentence._

" _Oh dear, you're coming with us no matter what, but I want you to watch your so called 'parents' to die! For telling, what was his name? August? For telling August about what happened! And don't worry dear, he'll be our next stop."_

" _Please! You don't have to do that! I'll go with you willingly! I won't… I won't fight!"_

" _Emma! It'll be okay! Just stop! You aren't gonna go with them babe!"_

" _I'm sorry mom, I have to-" Emma was - once again - interrupted by Ingrid._

" _Enough! Do it Jeff! Now!"_

 _Jefferson held the gun up to David's head and pulled the trigger. "No! Dad! W-wake up!" Emma managed to pull from Ingrid's grasp and run to her father. "Please daddy."_

" _David!" Mary sobbed, then Jefferson pointed the gun at her and repeated the action._

 _She screamed. "NO! Mom! Dad! Wake up! Please! No, no, no! NOO!"_

" _Emma, wake up!" She heard in her head. "Wake up, you're okay."_

*OUAT*

Mary woke up to her daughter thrashing and screaming. "No, no, no! NOOO!"

"Emma, wake up! Wake up, you're okay. I need you to wake up babe." Her mother told her soothingly, while David was gently trying to shake Emma awake. "David, can you go grab a glass of water?" He nodded and left the room. "You're okay babe, wake up."

She shot up in bed. "Mom!" She threw herself into her mother's arms. "Wh-where's dad?"

"He'll be back in a sec, he's getting you some water." Emma nodded.

Seconds later, David came in the room with a glass of water. "Hey princess, are you okay?"

"Fine." She said flatly, while fighting the tears.

"Princess, can you tell us about the dream?" David asked.

She shook her head. "I'm fine you guys."

Mary took her daughters chin between her thumb and index finger, so Emma would look at her. "You aren't _fine_ babe, you look terrified, you're worrying us, just talk to us. Please?"

Emma allowed a few tears to fall and before she new is, she was sobbing and being enveloped in a hug by both parents. "They… In my dream, they b-broke out of jail, because they p-paid a g-guard and then they c-came here and J-J-Jeffer- Mr. F-Fisher, he-he.. He killed you guys a-and they made me watch. It-it… It was hor-horrible."

They both enveloped her in another hug. "Princess, what exactly did they say on the phone that has you so worried?"

"She said that I'd be surprised what a guard would do for a little money." Emma took a deep breath. "What if they pay a guard to help them break out of jail dad!" Emma started hyperventilate and was having a hard time catching her breath.

"Babe, I need you to breath for me. Deep breaths, deep breaths."

"I-I'm scared mom." Emma admitted and earned herself another family hug.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Warning : Time jump, Emma's starting high school.**_

 **Chapter 15**

"No offense mom, but I'm glad you're not my teacher, that would be weird." Emma told her mother.

She smiled at her daughter. "You say that now, but wait until you meet Mr. Moore, you'll be crawling over to my class within the first 20 minutes of meeting the guy." She told her.

"Yeah right, I'll prove you wrong." She said, very sure of herself.

*OUAT*

"Can you believe it Ruby? High School!" Emma exclaimed excitedly. "I'm just so glad that my mom isn't my english teacher." She said relieved. "That would've been…" She trailed off.

"I know, but she's mine. I wish we both had Mr. Moore, your mom will probably email granny my test scores or something like that."

Emma laughed. "You're probably right. And according to Killian's brother, my mom's a total hard ass in class, but Regina said that Zelena had Mr. Moore and he's like the opposite or her."

"You're so lucky Em." Emma was about to respond when the bell rang- signalling that lunch was over. "Bye Em, see you in 7th period!"

"Bye Rubes." Emma said, unaware that her mom was walking towards her. "Tell me all about the wrath of my _momster_ in math." Ruby went a little pale. "Red?" Emma called her by her nickname that she gave her after Ruby had a red streak done in her hair. "You okay?"

"Maybe she looks like that because you just called me a _momster_ when I was standing right behind you." Mary said startling Emma.

She turned around. "Hi mom!" Emma looked at her non-existent watch. "Would you look at the time, I'd better get to class. Bye mom, bye Red." She went off in the direction of her English class, laughing to herself.

*OUAT*

Emma was sitting in Mr. Moore's class, her 6th period and the teacher got up from his desk to introduce himself. "Hello class, my name is Mr. Moore, I'm going to be your English I teacher this year, we won't do much in here. In this class we will do pretty much nothing, I'm not gonna lie to you, but if an advisor comes into the class to observe, I will have a lesson plan. If you want you don't like it, I can write a slip to have you transferred to Mrs. Nolan's class. " He told the class. "Any questions?"

Emma raised her hand. "Uh yeah, so are we like… not gonna learn anything?" She asked him.

"We will... once every month or so." She internally groaned. "Would you like a transfer slip?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Bring your schedule up to my desk and you can head over there in a few moments." She did as she was told. He started writing out the pass. "What's your name?"

"Emma… Nolan." He looked up. "Yup. The other teacher's kid."

He nodded and finished writing it out. "Have fun." He joked, causing the class to laugh.

Emma rolled her eyes and lightly stomped across the hall to her mother's class and knocked on the door.

"Emma? I'm in the middle of class."

She handed her mother the transfer slip. "I didn't notice." She said sarcastically, then went over and sat next to her best friend. Mary had to hold back her laughter especially after the conversation she had with her daughter before school.

Emma slumped down in the empty seat next to Ruby. "What was it you told me about proving your mom wrong?" Ruby asked Emma jokingly.

"I didn't even last 5 minutes in there, let alone 20." Emma admitted. "You literally do _nothing_ in his class. I can't sit in a chair for 45 minutes and do nothing, I would go crazy. And it's my favorite subject, so… I'm stuck in here if I wanna learn anything." She whispered to her. "Look at the bright side, we have English and Math together."

*OUAT*

About a week later, Emma and Ruby were walking out of school together when they ran into Killian. "Hey love, can we talk for a moment?" He asked Emma.

"Sure, see you in a bit Red." She told Ruby and walked a few feet away to talk. "What is it?"

"Well, I assume that you've heard about the back-to-school dance?" Emma nodded at the boy she's had a crush on for over a year. "Well, I was wondering… If..."

' _Oh my God, is he gonna ask me to the dance?'_ She thought. "Killian, just ask." She told him smiling.

"It's kind of embarrassing." He admitted sighing. "I was wondering if you could… Like, give me advice on how to ask Milah?" He asked.

Emma's face fell, but she didn't make it too noticeable. "Uh, yeah… I'd be happy to, I gotta get home, see ya later."

"Wait love, I thought we were all going to Granny's today." he said.

"We were, but I… I forgot I have to help my dad with something." She lied and went back over to Ruby. "Will you walk me home? I know you're going to the diner with everybody else, but-"

"I'm not going with them, I'm going home with you." She said and Emma looked at her, slightly confused. "Because you're telling me what's wrong." Emma was about to respond, but she was cut off before she could. "And don't say nothing, because I know you Em."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine." She relented "Let's go."

*OUAT*

Emma and Ruby were sitting on the bed in Emma's room. "So? What'd he say?" Ruby asked Emma.

She shrugged. "What'd who say?" Emma asked, playing dumb.

"You were perfectly fine until yours and Killian's private talk or whatever, so what'd he say?"

Emma sighed. "It's not really a bad thing." She said. "I was just hoping that he was going to ask me." She admitted looking down.

"To the dance?" Emma nodded. "He's not asking you? Who's he asking?"

She looked up at her best friend. "Milah Cassidy, Neal's twin. He wants me to help him figure out how to ask her, I said yes."

"Why'd you say yes?" Ruby asked, confused.

"I'm not gonna be petty about it Ruby, I'm not gonna be a jerk just because he doesn't like me back." She told her.

Ruby sighed. "Does he know that you like him?"

"Why? So it can ruin our friendship? No thanks. He doesn't like me, it's not a big deal. I'm gonna help my dad out at the station, do you wanna come or are do you wanna go home?"

"I'm gonna go home, but I'll walk with you." Ruby told her, knowing that Emma doesn't like walking places alone.

Emma smiled. "Thanks."

*OUAT*

"Hey dad."

"Hey princess." David came over and kissed Emma on the top of her head. "How was school?"

She shrugged. "It was school, we learned about school stuff, nothing important."

"Nothing important?" He asked jokingly.

She laughed. "Nope, learned about math, english, bio, history, the same old boring stuff." She joked back.

"Really, how was school?" He asked. "And I thought you were hanging out at the diner with your friends today."

She sighed. "School was good dad." She told him. "And plans change sometimes."

"Plans normally change for a reason. Did your plans change for any reason in particular?" He asked.

Emma rolled her eyes. "I just didn't want to go, alright?" She said annoyed, which shocked her father. "Sorry dad." She said looking down. "I just didn't want to go today." She said in a calmer voice.

"Emma, tell me what's wrong."

She shrugged. "It's nothing really, it's stupid. It's about the stupid school dance."

"The dance? Well, what happened? I can arrest someone if needed."

Emma laughed. "No dad, I just wanted someone to ask me and he didn't, he's asking someone else." She admitted. "It's not a big deal, just a little down I guess."

"What's his-"

"No, I'm not telling you who, no way, not a chance." She said laughing.

He pulled her into a hug. "Fine, but you know that you don't need some _boy_ taking you to the dance." He broke the hug. "High school boys only think about one thing and-"

"Dear God, stop, _please_ stop." She begged him.

"Fine, fine. We'd better get some stuff done around here." Emma nodded. "I have some more paperwork to do, but how about you go in the file room and organize them for me."

"Okay." She said with a smile and then did as her father told her.

 _ **Please Review**_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Any ideas love?" Killian asked, walking up to Emma at breakfast, Neal by his side.

Emma turned around. "Huh?"

"About asking Milah-"

Emma cut him of. "Right, right. Um, what's her favorite flower?" Emma asked him.

"It's violets." Neal told her.

"Great um, get her a ton of flowers, her favorite candy. Oh and buy a tux or something, so you look nice and just tell her how you feel." Emma said, fake smile plastered on her face.

"Thanks lass, you're the best."

He went in for a hug, but she turned around to avoid it. "Gotta run, see you when I see you, I guess. Bye." She said and left.

Killian was taken aback by Emma not accepting his hug. "Yeah… bye."

*OUAT*

During lunch, instead of eating, Killian decided to go see Emma's mother. "Mrs. Nolan?"

"Killian, what can I do for you?"

He scratched behind his ear. "Is Emma alright? She seemed a bit off this morning."

"What? She was fine before school, what happened?"

He sighed. "I'm probably just overreacting, but she helped me with something and went to hug her, and she totally brushed me off. I guess I just wanted to make sure she was alright."

"Hmm..." She hummed and thought for a moment. "What were you guys doing?"

"She was giving me… advice." He sighed. "On how to ask Milah to the dance."

Mary's eyes widened a bit. "Oh… I see." She said realizing why her daughter was upset.

"What?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I'll talk to her about it later Killian, don't worry." She said reassuringly.

*OUAT*

Emma was sitting on her bed texting Ruby about soccer tryouts for school, when she heard a knock at the door. "Come in." She said, not looking away from her phone.

"Hey sweetie, can we talk?"

She put her phone down and smiled. "Sure mom."

"So, Killian came to talk to me today." Emma internally groaned. "He's worried about you."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, he has no reason to be, I'm fine." She told her mom. "Plus, it's not like it's any of his business anyway." She mumbled.

"He also mentioned that he was asking Neal's sister to the dance… and you gave him advice on how to do it."

Emma shrugged. "Yeah. So?"

"Em, I know that you like-"

Emma cut her off. "He's my friend mom, that's all it's ever going to be. Did you need anything else?"

Her mother sighed. "I guess not, but Emma, you know that you can talk to me-"

"Great! Um, can I go to Ruby's we were gonna practice for tryouts tomorrow."

"Sure sweetie have fun."

*OUAT*

"Emma, love." Killian called after seeing Emma in the math hallway, leaving her last period with Ruby. "Wait up." She reluctantly waited for him to catch up with her.

"What?" She asked, somewhat rudely, confusing Ruby and Killian.

He looked at her puzzled. "Are you alright love? You've seemed a little off lately."

"I'm fine. Oh and Killian, I'd appreciate it if next time you think I'm off come talk to me yourself instead of going to my mom."

He sighed. "I'm sorry love-"

"And I'm not your love Killian." She snapped at him and Ruby's eyes widened.

That caught him off guard, she's never acted that way towards him. "I'm just worried. That's all."

"Well, you don't need to be. It's none of your business anyway." She groaned. "I'm sorry, we have to get to tryouts."

*OUAT*

"Emma Nolan; Starting Forward. Mulan Lin; Substitute Forward. Belle French; Right Back Defender. Regina Mills; Left Back Defender. Zelena Mills; Right Front Defender. Aurora Mitchell; Left Front Defender. Ruby Lucas; Goalie. Ashley Boyd, Milah Cassidy, Elsa Arendelle; you are our substitutes. Congratulations to you all. Our first practice is tomorrow from 3-5. Pick up your schedule's in my office on your way home."

*OUAT*

Emma was walking home alone after her third soccer practice, Ruby was sick so she didn't go to practice. She didn't want to bother any of her other friends, she also didn't want anyone knowing her fear of walking alone.

She was leaving the school, when she heard someone jogging behind her, she whipped her head around and saw that it was only Killian. She was partly relieved and partly annoyed. "Hi." She said to him, once he caught up with her.

"Hey."

Emma sighed. "How'd it go?" Killian raised a confused eyebrow. "Asking Milah to the dance, it's in 2 weeks you know."

"Oh, that. Well, it went okay, I guess."

She looked over to him. "Why okay?"

"I was concerned. I want to know why you're so upset with me." He said stopping her.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not upset with you." She lied and continued walking.

"Really? Because I think your lying to me love." He said following after her.

She groaned. "You're an ass."

"I know." He said with his signature smirk. "Really lass, what's going on with you?"

"You don't listen. I. Am. Fine." She insisted.

He externally groaned. "Fine, you don't have to tell me." He started walking in the opposite direction.

"Wait… Killian." She stopped him, putting her hand on his forearm. "Could you walk me home?" She sighed. "I know, I'm 14, I should be able to walk home from school on my own, but-"

"I know love, you don't like walking home alone, it's okay."

"How-"

He cut her off before she could finish her question. "I notice things." He laughed. "You saw me watching your practice, why didn't you just ask me to walk you in the first place?"

"Because," She sighed. "I was being petty." She admitted.

"Petty? About what?"

She let out a loud groan that sounded more like a growl. "It's stupid, I'm just being childish."

"About?"

"You, Killian." He raised an eyebrow. "I wanted you to… ask me… to the dance."

His eyes widened. "I thought you told Neal you were going with him?"

"Uh, no. He asked me on like the third day of school, I told him that I didn't really see him like that." She sighed. "But after you said that you were going with Milah, I changed my mind and agreed to go with him." By this time they were arriving at the Nolan residence. "Well, bye Kil."

She said, before he had a chance to respond.

 _ **Please Review...**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"You bloody bastard!" Killian yelled at Neal. "You knew I'd ask your sister if Emma already had a date! So you lied and said she was going with you?"

"It wasn't a total lie dude, I knew that if you went with someone else, Emma would say yes to going with me. You and Milah will be good together, just suck it up and take my sister."

"I'll take her, but I swear to God, if you hurt her or upset her in any way, you _will_ regret it."

*OUAT*

"Are you ready?" Emma called from up the stairs. "I'm on my way down!"

David looked at his daughter. "Wow..."

"You look so beautiful!" Her mother squealed. She walked over to Emma and put her hands on Emma's face. "You are absolutely gorgeous Emma Nolan."

" _Mom_ ," Emma whined.

"What? Can't a mother dote over her daughter?" She asked innocently.

Emma laughed and her father walked over. "You're mother is right princess, you look beautiful."

"Thanks guys, I love you."

They pulled her into a gentle hug, careful not to mess up her hair. "We love you too."

Just then, the doorbell rang. "That should be Neal." She opened the door and saw Neal standing there.

"Hey Em, you look great." He told her.

David walked over. "Emma, if you need anything, call us okay?" She nodded. "And you," David said turning to Neal. "I don't trust you, never have."

"Dad,"

"So if anything, and I mean _anything_ happens to my daughter, it'll be on you. Do you understand?"

Emma looked at her mother with pleading eyes. "David." Mary said.

"I'm sure that you're aware that I own a few guns."

Neal coughed nervously. "Uh… Yes sir."

"Emma, be home by midnight, alright?"

Emma nodded. "Okay. Bye mom, bye dad." Neal and Emma walked outside. "Sorry about my dad."

"That's alright." He told her.

*OUAT*

After about an hour at the dance, Emma told Neal that she wasn't going to lose her virginity at 14, so he ran off with one of the junior's at the dance.

Emma was sitting at a table drinking punch when Killian walked over. "Hey love, you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm okay Kil, thanks." He sat down next to her. "What are you doing? Don't you have a date?"

"She told me that I should come talk to you. "He chuckled, unamused. "Neal screwed with us." Emma looked up confused. "Neal wanted to go with you, so he told me that you said yes the first time and got me to ask Milah, so that you'd say yes for real."

"What?"

"Yeah, I tried to tell you, but you were making it a little hard. You know, with you avoiding me at all costs and all."

Emma grimaced. "Sorry, it was awkward."

"Well, I was originally going to ask you."

"You were?" He nodded. "I really don't like Neal." She admitted. "Like, I despise him, well now I do."

He chuckled. "Where is he anyway? If he was so desperate to come with you, then where is he?"

She sighed. "The second I told him that I wasn't going to have sex with him, he disappeared with that Tink girl, I think she's a junior."

"Bloody bastard." He mumbled under his breath. "I warned him." He said to himself.

Emma looked over to him. "Warned him about-" Emma trailed off, seeing Neal walking towards them. "Great." She mumbled and Killian stood up.

"Neal." He said angrily.

Neal smiled. "What's up dude? I see you got the-" He was cut off by Killian punching him. "What the hell man?"

"Killian!" Emma yelled. "Come on, let's go!" She said pulling him out of the school. "Why did you do that?"

Killian was still vigorously shaking his hand in pain, but stopped and looked up at Emma. "I warned the bloody bastard. I told him if he upset you, that he'd regret it. And I'm bloody sure that he regrets it." He said with a chuckle.

"God Killian, look at your hand." She grabbed his hand to look at it. "Let's go to my house, my mom will wrap it for you."

*OUAT*

Emma opened the door to her house at 10:00. "Emma, you're early..." She trailed off seeing Killian's bloody hand. "What happened?"

"Long story, short. Neal's a manipulative jerk." Emma told her mother vaguely. "I'll explain later. Can you help with his hand?"

Mary nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Of course." She walked over to Killian to look at his hand, then turned over to Emma. "Your father's upstairs, why don't you go get him."

She obliged and was back within a few minutes with her father. "Does someone wanna tell us what happened?" David asked, seeing his wife wrap Killian's hand.

"Well… Neal's a jerk." She said giving her parents a very vague answer.

"Yeah, you told me that. You said he's manipulative too." She looked between the two teenagers. "Start at the beginning."

Emma sighed and both her and Killian explained the situation with Neal and Milah. "Like I said, manipulative jerk." Emma finished.

"And Killian's hand?" David asked.

Killian smirked. "I gave him a fair warning." He started. "I told his if he upset her, he'd regret it." His smirk widened. "And he bloody well did regret it."

David gave an approving nod and shook Killian's left hand.

*OUAT*

"Wait, he _punched_ Neal?" Ruby asked flabbergasted.

Emma nodded. "Why weren't you there? I was texting you all day asking if you were coming."

"Yeah, Granny grounded me for skipping out on work." She said annoyed. "I did it like 4 times, I should've seen it coming."

Emma laughed. "Why'd you skip out?"

"I met…. Someone." She admitted with a blush.

Emma smiled. "Oh my God!" She squealed. "Who? Who is she?!"

"How- how'd you know?" Ruby asked her in a state of confusion and shock.

She laughed. "I'm your best friend Red. I know _everything_ about you. That includes knowing that you're bisexual." Emma said as if it was obvious.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?"

Emma smiled at her best friend. "I figured you'd tell me whenever you wanna tell me." She told her. "So? Who is she?"

Ruby smiled appreciatively. "It's Mulan." She told Emma.

Emma smiled. "I knew it! I knew you guys were into each other! You're both _always_ staring!"

"Enough about me. Is Killian gonna ask you out?" Ruby asked her excitedly.

Emma shrugged. "I hope so." She admitted.

"I think he will." Ruby said. "Everyone knows you guys are totally perfect for each other."

*OUAT*

"Emma!" Killian yelled across the soccer field after her soccer practice.

Emma squinted her eyes and saw Killian coming towards her, Ruby, and Belle. "How bad do I look?"

"You look like you need a shower." Belle joked, but received a death glare from Emma. "Kidding."

Ruby giggled. "Come on Belle, Emma needs to talk to Killian." Ruby said and walked off with Belle.

Once Killian caught up with Emma he smiled. "Hey love."

"Hi Killian." He stood there awkwardly holding a red rose. "Did you… need something?"

His eyes widened. "Uh yeah! For you Milady," He said handing her the rose.

She was blushing. "Milady? You do realize that I'm drenched in sweat right now, hardly a lady." She joked.

"Still a lady, a very stunning one at that." She blushed and looked to the ground. "Emma Nolan, would you like to go on a date with me?"

Emma smiled widely. "Yes Killian." She said with a light chuckle.

"Great! Um… tomorrow at 7?"

She nodded. "Sounds great Kil. Walk me home?"

"My pleasure." He gave her a dramatic bow and offered his arm. "Milady." She laughed and took his arm.

*OUAT*

"Mom! Are you here?" Emma asked after walking inside.

"In the kitchen!" She yelled.

Emma ran into the kitchen with a smile. "Is dad here?" Mary shook her head. "Guess what!" She yelled excitedly.

Mary laughed. "Inside voice Emma." She lightly scolded. "What has you so excited?"

"Killian asked me out." She squealed. "Please tell me we aren't busy tomorrow night at 7."

She smiled at her daughter. "That's great Emma! And don't worry, we don't have anything going on tomorrow."

"Awesome." Emma wasn't really looking forward to telling her dad about her date. "Mom." Emma sighed pleadingly.

Mary laughed knowingly and shook her head. "I'm not telling your father."

Emma groaned. "I'll tell dad when he gets home, I guess."

*OUAT*

"Hey dad! Did you have a good day?" Emma asked her father. "You look like your in a really good mood. Are you?"

Her dad raised his eyebrow. "My day was good Emma, how was yours?"

"It was great dad! Wanna hear about it?" Emma asked enthusiastically.

He chuckled. "Don't I always?"

"Well I aced my bio test, killian asked me out, I scored the most points in-"

David cut her off. "Woah, woah, what'd you say?... About Killian?"

"Oh that… yeah, Killian asked me out. We're going out tomorrow night, he's picking me up at 7." She nonchalantly

 ** _Please Review..._**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Emma, you look stunning." Killian said once he saw Emma.

She smiled. "Thanks Killian. You look..." She trailed off.

He smirked. "I know." Emma laughed and looked down in attempt to hide her blush.

"Emma, Killian! Smile!" Emma turned around just in time for her mom to take a picture of her and Killian.

Emma rolled her eyes, then turned to Killian. "Well, we should go before dad goes all… dad on you"

"No need mate, I can assure you, Emma is in perfectly safe hands." He told David.

David stepped closer to Killian, causing Killian to back away. "You did not just call him _mate._ " Emma whispered and Killian smirked.

"First off, I'm not your mate. And second if you put one of those _perfectly safe hands_ on my daughter, I will-"

Emma cut him. "Okay, I think he gets the point, but I can take care of myself."

"Sure you don't want me to drive you?"

"Bye!" Emma said exiting her house.

*OUAT*

Emma and Killian were sitting at a table in the only romantic restaurant in storybrooke 'The Enchanted Forest'.

"I still can't believe you called him your mate." Emma said laughing.

Killian laughed as well. "I couldn't help it love, there was a perfect opening and I took it. Plus, I've always enjoyed irritating your dad." He says chuckling.

She was about to respond when she saw her brother walking in the restaurant. "Oh my God." She pulled the menu up over her face.

"Love?"

"Look over at the entryway, the couple talking to the hostess." Emma told him.

He glanced over and saw who it was. "Is that…?"

"August? Yeah." She peeked over the menu. "Oh my God, they're coming this way." Emma pulled the menu back over her face. "Who's that with him?" Emma whispered.

He glanced back again. "Bloody hell." He breathed out. "It's my Aunt Merida." He groaned. "They're sitting across the room."

"That's who he's been seeing?" Emma asked. "He told me that he's been seeing someone."

*OUAT*

Emma and Killian were on their way out of the restaurant, hand-in-hand, when they bumped into August and Merida outside.

"Emma?"

Emma glanced awkwardly between her brother and Merida. "Auggie."

August looked between the two teenagers, then stepped closer to Killian, in response Killian backed away. "August." Merida warned. "Stop."

"What?" August asked. "Just a friendly warning." He said and looked back at Killian. "Did Emma ever tell you about why I went into the army?"

"August!" Emma and Merida yelled at the same time.

The older brother ignored his sister and girlfriend of 3 months. "Did she?" Killian nodded. "If you hurt her, in any way, shape, or form, I will-"

"Okay," Merida interrupted. "Killian, why don't you take Emma home." She suggested.

Killian nodded. "Okay Aunt Merida." Killian went to grab Emma's hand.

"Aunt?" August asked.

Merida nodded. "Yeah August, he's my nephew." She said with a chuckle.

*OUAT*

Emma and Killian just arrived outside Emma's house. "I'm really sorry about August Kil."

"Love, you apologized 3 times." He said chuckling. "It's alright."

She laughed. "I did have a good time Killian."

"I did too, love. I hope to do it again sometime." He scratched behind his ear. "If you'd like."

She nodded. "I would, I'd like it very much." Killian leaned in and gave her a goodnight kiss. Emma smiled. "Are you coming to the morning game tomorrow?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world love." He told her.

She smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow then." He nodded. "Goodnight Killian."

"Goodnight Love."

*OUAT*

"So? Was he a good kisser?" Ruby asked in the locker room after their winning game.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Not telling." She told her, but her smile betrayed her.

"Oh my God! It was!" Ruby squealed, causing Emma to roll her eyes again. "Fine, fine, I'll stop. But Granny said if we win she'll give us free food, and we won!" Ruby said excitedly.

Emma laughed. "Grilled cheese and onion rings?"

"She always makes extra." Ruby told her best friend with a smirk. "Lets go."

The two best friends walked to the diner together and they were greeted with free food by Ruby's grandmother.

Emma ate her grilled cheese and Ruby ate her cheeseburger. "Well I should go home." Emma told Ruby.

"I'll walk you." Ruby said standing up, Emma gave her a grateful smile.

*OUAT*

"Hey mom, dad." Emma said after entering her house and seeing her parents sitting on the couch watching TV."

"Hey princess, great game." Her father said with a proud smile plastered on his face. Her mother got up and hugged her.

Emma smiled. "Thanks guys."

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Mary said, drawing the attention of her husband and daughter. "You got something in the mail today." She went into the kitchen and grabbed an envelope. "Here," She said giving Emma the envelope. "It's from the prison."

Emma looked at the envelope with the State of Maine Correctional Facility logo and address with a red stap that read, 'Not an Inmate Letter'. She opened it, pulled the letter out. handing the envelope to her mother, then she read the letter.

 _Dear Emma Nolan,  
Miss Nolan, you were listed as the the only listed relative of Ingrid Fisher, barring her husband Jefferson Fisher, who is also an inmate. I am aware that you are also listed as their victim and not really related to them, but I am required to notify you. _

_I regret to inform you that Ingrid Fisher killed herself on the date of September 29th, she was buried in the town she was residing in, on the date of October 1st. She is buried at the Storybrooke cemetery in row D of section 29. I am sorry for your loss._

 _Warden Sean Herman_

Emma folded the letter back up, tears in her eyes. "What is it Em?" Her mother asked.

She shook her head and ran out of the house, pushing past her parents, with the letter still in her hand and her sports bag still slung over her shoulder.

She heard her parents calling after her, but she ignored them. 15 minutes later, she found herself in row D of section 29 at the Storybrooke Cemetery.

"I am _not_ your relative." Emma spat. "I _hate_ you! I hate you so much!" She screamed as loud as she could, though she wasn't expecting that her best friend was at the next section over visiting her mother. She slid her sports bag off of her shoulder and began hitting Ingrid's gravestone with it, over and over. "I hate you! I hate you so freaking much! I hate you! I hate you!"

"Emma!" Ruby yelled from a distance. Ruby ran closer to Emma.

"I hate you! I hate you!" Ruby heard Emma say, while repeatedly hitting a gravestone with her sports bag.

She pulled Emma back and saw whose gravestone Emma was hitting. "Oh my God." Ruby pulled her into a tight hug, causing Emma to drop her sports bag.

"I hate her." Emma cried. "I-I hate them so much."

Ruby- being taller than Emma, had her arms wrapped around Emma's neck- pulled her closer. "Shh, it's okay Em."

"The bitch killed herself." Emma said shakily. "She had me listed as her damn relative Ruby." She cried. "I am _not_ related to her."

"I know Emma, I know." Ruby broke the hug and took out her phone to check the time. "Holy hell Em, how long have you been here."

Emma shrugged. "I don't know, why?"

"Well, I just turned my phone on and I have 12 missed calls and 24 messages from your mom."

Emma grimaced. "What time is it?" Ruby showed Emma her phone that read '2:42pm'. "Shit… about 2 hours." Ruby's eyes widened. "I know, but it really didn't feel like it was that long."

Ruby shot Mary a text that read, ' _Found her, be there in 10'._ "Come' on, I'll walk you home." Ruby told Emma nodded and the best friends linked arms and walked the 10 minute walk to Emma's house.

*OUAT*

"Emma!" Mary said running over to her daughter with her husband. "Oh my God, I was worried sick!" She said pulling her daughter into a hug.

Emma hugged her mother back and felt her father cradling her head. "I'm sorry guys." Emma cried. "I didn't realize how long I was gone."

"It's okay, just _never_ run off like that again Emma, do you hear me?" Emma nodded and wrapped her arm that wasn't embracing her mother, and wrapped it around her father.

They brought Emma over to the couch and sat her down. "Now Emma, why did you run off?"

"I'm not her relative." Emma cried just before pulling the folded up letter out of her pocket and handing it to her parents.

Both her parents began to read the letter. "Oh my God." Mary gasped. When they finished reading it, they folded it back up and they both sat on either side of their daughter. "Is that where you went? The cemetery?"

"Yeah." Emma nodded. "I yelled at her, screamed at her like a maniac." Emma laughed darkly. "By the way, I think I need a new soccer ball." Her parents gave her a questioning look. "It was in my sports bag and I kind of went a little postal at some point." She told them.

"What do you mean princess?" David asked brushing Emma's hair out of her face.

She sighed deeply. "I mean… at some point I began hitting the gravestone with my bag, and in turn, deflating my ball." She admitted. "I'm sorry," She cried again.

"Sweetie, we already told you that it's-"

"No," Emma cut her off. "I'm sorry that I can't be like everybody else." She cried. "That I can't be normal! I have all this baggage and problems." She continued to cry. "You should've… you deserve a normal kid!"

Both of her parents embraced her. "We don't want a _normal_ kid, we want you." Her mother told her. "We have since that moment almost 3 years ago in your social workers office."

Emma hugged her parents again and them was distracted by knocking at the door. "I'll get it." Emma said wiping her remaining tears away. She opened the door and saw her boyfriend standing there. "Killian?" Emma said, confused. She turned around to her parents. "Can I talk to him outside? I promise I won't disappear for another 2 hours." She joked.

"Of course sweetheart, but-"

David interjected, cutting Mary off. "No kissing… or touching in any way." He said eyeing Killian.

Mary and Emma rolled their eyes. "But only for a few minutes, alright?" Mary said, picking up where she left off.

Emma nodded and walked out on her front porch with her boyfriend. "Hey. So, Ruby called you?" She asked.

"Yeah. Love, are you okay?" He asked worriedly. "Ruby told me that the woman that kidnapped you died."

Emma nodded. "She did, she killed herself." Emma said flatly, without emotion.

Killian pulled her into a hug. "I know that their kidnapping you must've been hard, love." Killian said in attempt to comfort her.

' _They did so much more than that Killian_ '. Emma wanted to say, but instead backed away. "I should go… See you later Kil." Killian was about to object but Emma was already inside shutting the door before he could.

 _ **Please Review...**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Warning; mention of sexual abuse.**_

 **Chapter 19**

It's been a little over a month since Ingrid's death. Things were actually going pretty good for her.

Emma woke up to the sound of her phone ringing, she didn't even look at it before she answered it.

" _Hello?" She answered groggily, sitting up on her bed._

" _Well, if it isn't sweet Emma." She heard an all too familiar taunting voice say. "So, I'm willing to bet that you heard about my wife's death." Jefferson said. "You know, my wife, the one that you killed."_

" _I didn't kill her!" Emma snapped "She killed herself. Don't call here again!" She yelled, waking her parents._

Emma put her phone down on her bed and it began ringing again. "Shut up." She cried angrily, declining the call and tossing it off of her bed.

Both of her parents walked in her room to see Emma toss the phone off of her bed. "Emma? What's wrong?" Her mother asked.

"Who were you talking to?" David asked after Mary.

Emma sighed. "I didn't know that it was an unknown number… I was half asleep, I just answered." She defended.

"It's okay princess, what happened?"

Emma threw herself back to a lying position on her bed. "He called… Mr. Fisher, h-he told me… he told me I killed her." Emma sighed. "I know I didn't-" She was cut off by the sound of her phone ringing again. "Oh my God." She groaned, annoyed.

Her father grabbed the phone off of the floor and answered it. "Fisher! I swear to God, if you call my daughter one more time-" He was cut off by the line going dead. "That should solve _that_ problem."

"Thanks dad." Emma said, grateful, but spoke too soon. She heard her phone ring again.

 _David answered the phone. "Fisher!" He yelled angrily._

" _Hey there, dear ole dad!" Jefferson shouted, over a loud background noise._

 _He sounded as if he was drunk in a bar, but that'd be impossible as he's in prison. "You need to stop calling my daughter!"_

David stepped in the hall and Mary pulled her phone out of her robe. "Mom, what are you doing?"

"I'm calling the warden of the prison." Emma was about to object, but her mother stopped her. "And don't say it's not a big deal, because it is." Emma slumped down, knowing that her mother was right.

" _Hello, this is Warden Herman." She heard a groggy-ish voice on the line answer._

" _Hello, my name is Mary Margaret Nolan, I'm sorry to call so late-"_

 _He chuckled. "Late? I just got to work ma'am, no trouble at all."_

" _Right. Um, my daughter is Emma Nolan-"_

" _Ah, yes, yes. I wrote a letter to her, did I not?"_

 _Mary rolled her eyes at his persistent interrupting. "Yeah, you did. Listen, Jefferson Fisher is harassing my daughter, my husband is on the phone with him right now in the hall, is there something-"_

" _One moment ma'am, I'm just outside his block, I can check on him now."_

" _Thanks."_

 _Mary heard footsteps, then loud yelling. "Call a code green! I repeat a code green!" He yelled very clearly. "Ma'am, I need you to lock your doors and keep a close eye on your child. I'm sorry to inform you, but Jefferson Fisher has escaped once again." He said and hung up._

Mary's jaw dropped involuntarily. "Oh my God..." She breathed out, shocked.

"What?"

Mary snapped her head up to her daughter. "Go get your father." She said frantically locking the two windows in Emma's room.

Emma did as she was asked, sensing that it was serious. Mary saw David coming into the bedroom, ending the phone call and giving Emma her phone. "What's going on mom?"

"Okay. I'm going to tell you guys something, but you can't freak out."

"Well that's reassuring." He mumbled. "Just tell us, what's going on?"

Mary sighed. "He..." She glanced between her husband and daughter. "He escaped, again." She finally said.

*OUAT*

Killian and Ruby came over to check on Emma because neither her or Mary were at school and Emma wasn't answering her phone. They knocked on the door.

Emma's head snapped up. "You don't think that it could be..." She trailed off.

David grabbed his gun and walked towards the door, August following him, to look through the peephole and sighed relieved. "It's just Ruby and Killian." He answered the door and invited Killian and Ruby in.

"What's going on Em?" Ruby asked her best friend. "We've been calling you all day."

"Is everything okay love?" Killian asked Emma.

Emma sighed. "Something… happened." She told them. "Mr. Fisher escaped."

"What?" Ruby shrieked.

Emma nodded. "Yeah."

"Why is he so obsessed with you love?" Killian asked her.

Ruby's widened her eyes at Emma, because she hadn't told him yet. Emma responded with a 'shut up' glare. "That's a story for another time Kil." Emma told him,

*OUAT*

"You guys don't have to stay in here, you know." Emma told her parents, secretly hoping that they'd stay anyway.

"It's either we sleep in your room or you come sleep with us, at least until they catch him." Mary told her daughter.

' _If they catch him._ ' She thought. Emma smiled weakly at her parents. "Thanks guys."

"What is it princess? Something else is on your mind." Her father said.

Emma shook her head. "Nothing just tired." She lied, receiving skeptical looks from her parents. Emma sighed. "It's just… what if the _don't_ catch him?" Emma asked. "And even if they do, what's to say that he won't escape _again_?"

"Sweetheart, you can't think like that." Her mother told her.

Emma nodded and sat up in her bed. "I know, but last time I thought he could never hurt me again, but then he escaped and he took me and-"

"Emma, Emma." Her mother soothingly interrupted. "It's okay to be scared."

Emma nodded. "Are all the phones turned off?"

"All but the landline. We need to keep that one on in case Graham calls with an update." Her father answered and she nodded. "Now, I think we all need some sleep."

"And Emma, if you need anything, we're right here. Just wake us or August, he's already asleep in the guest bedroom." Her mother told her.

"Okay." Emma responded, not bothering to lay down, let alone close her eyes.

Her father chuckled. "Lay down. And close your eyes." Emma rolled her eyes and lied down. "Eyes Emma, it makes it a bit easier to sleep if they're closed."

She rolled her eyes again, then closed them. "Happy?"

"Ecstatic, now sleep."

Emma laid down and kept her eyes closed, checking every few minutes to see if her parents were asleep yet. None of them noticed the sound of someone coming inside their home.

 **~Dun, Dun, Dun…**

After about 45 minutes, they were asleep and she sighed. "Took long enough." She mumbled. She quietly got up, and went downstairs.

She grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with water. She took a sip out of it, before she heard his voice, the voice that haunts her dreams. "Oh my sweet Emma." He said, tauntingly.

She was about to scream, when he put his hand over her mouth. "Ah, ah, ah." He whispered. "No screaming."

' _I need to find someway to wake somebody._ ' She thought, then she remembered the glass cup in her hand, and somehow he knew what she was thinking.

"Don't even think about it." He warned. Emma ignored him and through the glass on the ground, causing it to shatter. "Bitch!" He yelled and slapped her, as a result, she fell on the pile of shattered glass and yelped in pain. "That's what you get! Let's go!" He pulled her up by her arm.

"Emma!" She heard her brother yell and she heard footsteps behind him, probably her parents.

"Mom! Dad! Auggie!" She screamed, terrified. Then he threw her in the trunk of his car and she hit her head on something, knocking her unconscious.

*OUAT*

David and Mary were asleep on their makeshift bed in Emma's room and August was asleep in the guest room, they all woke up to a sound of shattering glass. They all ran downstairs, August got there first, because his room was closest. He saw Emma being pulled out of the house. "Emma!" He yelled.

David and Mary got outside in time to see their daughter being thrown into a trunk of a car, but not before hearing Emma's terrified voice screaming for help. "Mom! Dad! Auggie!" They heard.

David ran after the car, but he was too late, the car was gone, along with his daughter. He ran back in the house and wrote something down. He picked up the landline. "Graham! I need you to run a license plate. 34181 ML. Put an APB out on it _now._ He has her! He has my daughter!" He put the phone down.

"David..." His wife said, near tears.

He pulled her into a hug. "We'll find her, we'll get our girl back. Don't worry." He broke the hug and went to examine the _crime scene_ , before the feds or marshalls decided to show up. He walked into the kitchen and saw the shattered glass, but he saw blood drippings as well. "God, I'm going to kill him." He said to himself.

"David is that…?"

He nodded at his wife. "It is, it's blood."

August just stood there silently, staring at the blood, taking everything in. _His sister had been kidnapped, again._ But this time it happened under his nose, he wasn't hours away this time. This time he was down the hall. "She never listens." He mumbled.

"What was that August?" Mary asked.

He looked up and smiled faintly. "I'm assuming you told her that if she needs anything to _wake you._ " They both nodded. "She _never_ listens, never has, and probably never will." He said chuckling darkly, then stopped. "Dammit Em." He said to himself, getting a little angry. "You couldn't listen just this once!" He yelled and pushed everything off of a desk. David put a hand on August's shoulder, bringing him back to reality. "I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize August. I'm tempted to run outside and fire my clip into a tree. Hell, I'd be willing to fire my clip into him, if it meant that Emma would be okay." He told him. "We're all angry and scared." He said comforting August, then they all heard the sirens in the distance.

"That took long enough." Mary said, in response to the sirens.

First Graham showed up; David's only deputy, the 2 FBI agents, and finally 2 US Marshals were all in the house that their daughter was just taken from. "I'm sorry we have to meet again, under these circumstances." A fed told David, he was one of the agents that worked on Emma's kidnapping case almost 2 years ago.

"I know that this is hard," the other fed started. "But I need you to explain to me what happened."

"I heard glass breaking." August said. "So, I came down to check it out. I saw him pulling her out of the house."

"We weren't far behind," Mary cut in. "David and I saw him putting her into the trunk. David tried-"

David interrupted. "I tried running after him, but by the time I reached the street, the car was gone." He finished.

Ruby was on her way to check on Emma before school, when she saw an SUV and a patrol car parked outside of her house. "Emma." Ruby gasped and ran into her best friends house. She looked over and saw Mary, David, and August talking to men in suits, then she went over to ask Graham- her brother- what was going on, he was in the kitchen. She walked in and saw blood and glass on the floor. Her brother hadn't seen her yet. "Graham," she quivered. "Is that blood? Is that Emma's bood?"

Graham rushed over and ushered his sister out of the kitchen. "You shouldn't be here Ruby." He told her, but not being too hard on her. "Granny wanted you to go straight to school."

"Graham, _where is Emma_?" She demanded, not bothering to stop the tears from falling. "She's my best friend Graham. Where is she?" Graham looked down. "He has her again, doesn't he?" He still didn't answer. "Doesn't he?!"

"Yes." He said quietly. "Rubes, he took her late last night." He broke the news to her as gently as he could. "Go stand over there with Mary, David, and August. _Please._ " Ruby nodded and did what her brother told her to do.

Mary immediately pulled her into a hug. "Who is this?" The fed that no one knows- Agent Ormson- asked.

"This is Ruby Lucas, Emma's best friend and Deputy Humbert's younger sister." David said. "Now can we get back to Emma?"

"They have different last names though."

David rolled his eyes. "They have different fathers, he took his father's last name. Now, my daughter."

"Right, right. Sorry. How do you'd think she'd react in this kind of situation?" They stared at him blankly. "It's important." He promised.

Mary sighed. "She's been in this situation before Agent Ormson." She said. "Emma told me that she thought she was having a nightmare. She was terrified." Mary said. "That man terrifies her! And you're here asking us how she'll react? I willing to bet that she'll react like a scared teenager!"

 ** _Please Review..._**


	20. Chapter 20

_**Warning: Violent content involved. (Not sexual. I'm not that evil!)**_

 **Chapter 20**

Emma woke up with blurry vision and a headache, her back was hurting pretty badly as well, it was terrible. She tried to move her hand to touch where the pain was coming from, but she couldn't. "What the…?" She blinked a few times to clear up her vision, eventually it worked. She wasn't in her house, she was somewhere else, but she didn't know where, her hands were tied against some sort of pole.

"Well, good morning, _sweet Emma._ " Jefferson said to a groggy Emma.

Emma jumped, startled by him, then it all came back to her and she darted her eyes over to her ex-foster father. "Don't call me that!" She spat.

"That's no way to speak to the man that acted as your father for over a year." He said feigning hurt. "I gave you food and shelter, and I gave you _love,_ so much love."

"Go. To. Hell."

He ignored her. "And how do you repay me? By telling big bro that I _hurt_ you, I didn't hurt you, I _loved_ you. Then of course, Ingrid and I," He paused to take a large gulp of his beer. "We tried to get you back, and you send us to prison? And let's not forget that Ingrid..." He took an even larger drink of his beer. "She was so miserable there, that she killed herself!" He yelled, starting to get drunk again, as he was the night of his escape. "Wanna know how she did it?" He asked and Emma didn't answer him. "Answer me!"

"No! I don't!" She cried. "Just stop! Let me go! I want to go home!" She sobbed.

He slapped her to stop her crying. "Shut up! This isn't about you! This is about how you killed my wife! So, you're gonna hear how it happened!" He yelled angrily at the scared teenage girl. "She used a bed sheet. Tied one end to the top of the prison bars, and tied the other end around her throat. She strangled herself." He chugged the rest of his beer and grabbed another. "I was on cleaning duty, I sweep the hallways, I'm the one that found her. Along with this," he said pulling a wrinkled note out of his pocket.

The letter read. ' _Dear Jeffy, this isn't your fault. Emma did this to us. She destroyed us. I know you loved her, so did I. But she destroyed our love. We were happy before we met her and her crazy brother. This is all Emma's fault. Avenge my death Jeffy, make her suffer._ '

"All I did was tell the truth!" Emma screamed. "This isn't my fault! None of it is! You hurt me! I was 9 when it happened! You didn't show me love, if anything, you showed me hate!" She cried. "I hate you!"

He came over and kicked her back, where the cuts from the glass at her house were, causing her to scream in pain. "Shut up! It is your fault!" She sobbed into the floor, due to both pain and fear. "Do you want mommy and daddy?" He asked. "Too bad! They'll never find you this time! And I will make you suffer, until I decide that it's time to put you out of your misery and kill you."

"Please Mr. Fisher." She cried. "You don't have to do this. Just let me go! Let me go home, please." She begged.

He laughed in her face. "No! You. Will. Suffer. Just as Ingrid wanted! Then. You. Will. Die. And your happy family will find your body!" He promised. "Your brother will find it. I'll make sure of it. It'll make up for the time that he put me in the hospital." He said laughing, then chugged another bottle of beer.

What he didn't know was that when Emma got up for that drink of water at home, she grabbed her phone that was on silent and put it in her pocket.

She has an escape plan; she's going to call her dad, and she knows that he'll put a trace on the phone, but she has to wait until Mr. Fisher passes out from all the alcohol.

Emma stayed quiet after his outburst, not wanting to provoke him. "This is gonna be fun!" He shouted drunkenly, taking another large swig of his beer. "You ready for this?" He walked over and got in her face, on the ground, and brushed a strand of her hair with his hand. "Oh, sweet Emma." He stood up and kicked her a few times. "You killed her!" He screamed. "My wife! She's dead! And it's your fault! You couldn't have kept your stupid mouth shut?"

Emma was in fetal position, she grunted in pain. "Stop!" She gasped. "Just stop!" She begged him. "It wasn't my fault. You guys kidnapped me! You had to go to jail! It's not… it's not my fault!" She cried.

"But it was!" He yelled and kicked her again. "It was your fault, it _is_ your fault!" He went back over to his beer and chugged the rest of his beer and went back over to Emma. "Sit up."

"I. Can't." She said in between grunts of pain. "It hurts." She cried.

Jefferson smiled. "Good." He forced her into a painful sitting position and she screamed in pain. He went and sat in a chair, grabbed another beer and watched Emma cry. He continued to drink until eventually he passed out.

Emma was able to free one of her hands and she grabbed her phone out of her back pocket and dialed her father's number.

*OUAT*

Emma has been missing for over 32 hours now. They realized not long ago that Emma had her phone, but they couldn't get a signal on it unless it was an active call.

It was nearly 10 am when David got a call on his phone. He picked it up and saw it was Emma. "Start the trace Graham."

"She called?" He asked.

David nodded. "She knows I'll trace it, she's smart." David told him.

"Well answer it." Mary said and David obliged.

" _Hello?! Emma, is that you? Are you okay?"_

" _Daddy..." Emma whispered. "You need find me dad." She said weakly._

" _I'm tracking your phone now. We will find you princess." He promised. "Are you okay?"_

 _Emma began to silently cry. "It hurts dad." She cried into the phone. "Everything hurts."_

" _We're gonna find you, okay? Tell me Em, where is he right now?"_

" _He passed out dad, he's drunk." She said. "He's angry dad, really really angry. He says it's my fault." She cried. "He wants to kill me. I'm scared, I'm really scared daddy."_

" _It's gonna be okay."_

"Do you have it yet?" Graham nodded. "Good, good." He went back to talking to Emma.

" _Dad," she whispered. "Daddy, he's waking up, I have to go-" she stopped suddenly. "No, I'm sorry! Please don't-" The line went dead._

" _Emma! Emma!"_

"What happened?" Mary and Ruby asked in unison.

David looked at his wife and his daughter's best friend. "Fisher woke up." He said blankly. "We have to go, _now!_ "

*OUAT*

Emma was on the phone with her father, when Jefferson started to wake up. "He's waking up." Jefferson heard as he was coming to. "I have to go-" He stood up and walked towards her. "No, I'm sorry! Please don't!" He took the phone out of her hand and ended the call.

"Stupid!" He yelled. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" He knocked her back down into a lying position and kicked her, several times.

He yanked her back into a sitting position and punched her when he heard the nearby sirens nearby, he was aiming for her eye, but he was still pretty tipsy from all the alcohol intake and ended up hitting her forehead, creating a large laceration.

He pushed her back down and went back to kicking her, until the FBI and US Marshals came in and pulled him off of her.

Emma was crying on the ground. "It hurts. It hurts. I wanna go home." She cried.

"You're gonna be okay honey." A female agent- Christine Larson- told her. "Your father called the paramedics when your phone call ended, they'll be here any minute."

"I'm tired, so tired." She said started to close her eyes.

"No, honey. Keep 'em open, don't close your eyes." She pulled her radio out. "Where the hell is that bus?!" Agent Larson yelled into her radio.

"Where's my mom and dad?" Emma asked weakly. "I want them." She cried.

The agent wiped Emma's tears away. "They're right outside, but they can't come in, I'm sorry."

Then the paramedics came rushing in. "Is she conscious?" A paramedic asked and Agent Larson nodded in response. "What's her name?"

"Emma." She answered.

The paramedics came over. "Okay Emma, we're gonna move you onto this," he said gesturing towards a portable gurney. "It's going to hurt, but we have to do it." They moved her onto the gurney, causing her a great deal of pain, she held in a scream.

They moved her outside and into the ambulance. "Can we ride with? She's our daughter." Mary asked one of the paramedics.

"Fine. It'll be a tight fit, but I can make do." He told them. "Try to keep her awake and talking." He said climbing into the ambulance, Mary and David following directly behind.

"Princess." David breathed out. "I'm here, me and mom are here."

"We're here honey." Mary said, fighting back tears. "We're not going anywhere."

Emma reached her hand out and her father grabbed it. "I'm tired. I'm so tired daddy." She cried.

"I know you are, but you gotta stay awake. Can you do that?" Emma's eyes started to drift. "Em, Emma, I need you to open your eyes. Emma."

"Sweetheart. Please open your eyes. Mom and dad are here. Just open your eyes." Mary said to her daughter. "She won't… She won't open her eyes." Mary said to the paramedic.

"It's alright." He said whilst working on Emma. "It'd be better if she'd stay awake, but I didn't think she would."

*OUAT*

"Is she okay?" August asked Mary and David as he rushed into the hospital.

"They rushed her into an MRI." Mary said, pacing around in the waiting room. "Some of Emma's friends are on the way. Like Ruby and Killian, and I think Belle's coming as well."

Around 30 minutes later, a doctor came out. "I need you to sign this." He said handing David a clipboard. "It's a consent form." He glanced in between Mary and David. "She has internal bleeding and a few head contusions. The swelling in her brain should go down with antibiotics. It looks like she fell on a hard object, maybe a crowbar or something."

"When he put her in the trunk." Mary said to herself. "What about her forehead?" She asked.

"It's a severe concussion, she'll experience some headaches and she might have trouble remembering details." He told them. "But she needs the surgery now, so can you…?"

"Yeah, of course." David answered and signed the form.

"Wait," August stopped the doctor before he could walk away. "Is she going to be okay?"

The doctor sighed. "I promise that I'll do everything I can."

 ** _Please Review..._**


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